We might make an assumption when we believe that everyone wants joy and gladness in their life. If you look around at many, you may be unable to see any evidence that they have that desire. “The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.” (Prov 10:28) 

Is joy your hope? Solomon doesn’t tell us here what the wicked hope for. It may be power, wealth or anything else. What does it mean that “the hope of the righteous brings joy”? “Hope” used here isn’t wishful thinking, but rather confident expectation based on our faith. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1)

So our hope as the righteous–solely based on Jesus Christ’s righteousness–is a confident expectation that joy will be realized in our lives here on earth because the Lord has said so over and over again in His Word. “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him” (Lam 3:25). As we see in this verse, God doesn’t give His blessings to us so that we can go off on our merry way. When we hope in Him and seek Him, it is the relationship with Him that brings us joy.