Michael Card - Hope Lyrics
Lyrics
Hope has been woven throughout all creation
An anchor that holds through the waves
Hope is the helmet of each noble soldier
For only the warrior who hopes can be brave
Hope you in the Lord
And renew your strength
Soar you up on eagle's wings
Tirelessly run the long race
That's set before you
Your life's a song the Father sings
Hope that you can see is really no hope at all
And like children who see faces in the clouds
We hopefully listen to the silence of life
And find that it is shouting out loud
Hope you in the Lord
And renew your strength
Soar you up on eagle's wings
Tirelessly run the long race
That's set before you
Your life's a song the Father sings
And though your life may seem
To sound a dark and minor key
It will someday shift itself to major
And the lyric of your life will rhyme
With nothing less than joy
And you'll find that hope is from
The One that you believe
Hope is an echo in the air all around you
It is the sound of heaven's symphony
And the hope that is Jesus will never disappoint us
It tenderly tells us, to hope is to believe
Hope you in the Lord
And renew your strength
Soar you up on eagle's wings
Tirelessly run the long race
That's set before you
Your life's a song the Father sings
Hope has been woven throughout all creation
Video
Hope
Meaning & Inspiration
Michael Card's "Hope," from his 1994 album *Poiema*, is a profound exploration of a foundational Christian concept, not merely as an emotion but as a divinely infused reality woven into the fabric of existence. Card doesn't present hope as a fragile wish; instead, he frames it as an active, enduring force, an "anchor that holds through the waves." This imagery immediately evokes the biblical assurance of steadfastness in turbulent times, much like the author of Hebrews speaks of hope as a "sure and steadfast anchor of the soul" (Hebrews 6:19). The song posits hope as essential for spiritual fortitude, likening it to the "helmet of each noble soldier," underscoring its role in protecting the mind and spirit in the spiritual warfare described in Ephesians 6:17. Without this hope, Card asserts, bravery is impossible, aligning with the understanding that faith, and by extension, hope, is the catalyst for courageous action.
The central refrain, "Hope you in the Lord, and renew your strength; soar you up on eagle's wings," directly draws from Isaiah 40:31, a powerful promise of divine empowerment for those who wait upon the Lord. This is not a passive waiting but an active trust that enables believers to overcome weariness and run the "long race" of life with renewed vigor. Card beautifully connects this endurance to the idea that "your life's a song the Father sings," suggesting that even in its struggles, each life has a divine melody and purpose, a comforting thought for anyone facing hardship. The song critiques a superficial hope, stating, "Hope that you can see is really no hope at all," echoing the Apostle Paul's definition of hope in Romans 8:24-25: "For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope. For who hopes for what he already has?" This is a hope that trusts in the unseen, finding meaning in the "silence of life" that is ultimately "shouting out loud" with divine truth.
Card's lyrical dexterity shines as he addresses the inevitable darkness and dissonance in life. He reassures listeners that even a life sounding in a "dark and minor key" will eventually "shift itself to major." This imagery resonates with the scriptural promise of redemption and transformation, where sorrow can be turned into joy, as Psalm 30:5 declares, "weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning." The ultimate rhyme of our lives with "nothing less than joy" is not achieved through self-effort but is found in the source of hope itself, "The One that you believe." This points directly to Jesus Christ, who is presented as the ultimate embodiment of hope. He is the "echo in the air all around you," the "sound of heaven's symphony," and the one whose hope "will never disappoint us." This echoes Jesus' own words in John 14:1, "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me." The concluding thought that "to hope is to believe" encapsulates the core message: Christian hope is not a blind optimism but a confident trust grounded in the person and promises of God, particularly as revealed in Jesus, who is the ultimate assurance that our faith will not be in vain.