ADVENT HOPE

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and I wait for His word. My soul waits in hope for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; yes, more than the watchmen for the morning.”  (Psalm 130:5-6)

Sometimes hope feels wishful, like crossing our fingers and dreaming of a better outcome. We might hope for better employment, healed relationships, or a brighter future. But that kind of hope is based on things that may or may not happen. When things don’t go as we hoped, it can be crushing -- our hope disappearing like vapor.

As a season of reflection and contemplation, Advent invites us to imagine a different kind of hope, rooted in the unchanging nature of God and His promise to restore every part of His creation. Advent hope does not minimize pain or difficulty, nor does it assume things will soon get better. Instead, it faces the darkness with courage and chooses to trust that God’s promises will come to pass, guaranteed by His long-proven, faithful character.

In the Hebrew Bible, the words most often used for hope -- qavah and yakhal -- are also translated as “wait.” To hope in God means to wait with patient expectation, trusting that He will fulfill His promises. This kind of waiting leans forward, anticipating the day when Jesus will return to make all things new. Such hope empowers people to persevere, to act justly, and to serve others as a sign of the restoration that will arrive through Jesus.

-- From “The BibleProject Guide to Advent”

#6253

A RENEWED APPRECIATION

“So it was, that while [Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem], the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger…”  (Luke 2:6-7a)

Each year when the holidays rush in, I feel like peace and joy lag a little behind schedule. Like a mirage, I see these wonders of Christmas shimmering in the distance, but I cannot quite reach them.

In this season, more than any other, busyness and distractions abound. With all the decorating, baking, shopping, wrapping, and mailing…well, it is hard for me to be still and quiet. When I do find a moment, my thoughts easily wander from the Christmas story to the troubles of our world.

Thankfully, the Holy Spirit is persistent with me. He keeps encouraging me to be mindful of Christmas and not let it slip away before pondering its celebration. So yesterday afternoon, as the snowflakes flew and the temperatures plummeted outside, I sat still next to the window and read once again about the Christmas miracle.

New wonders and knowledge come to mind every time I read Bible verses about the birth of Christ and the love He brings our world. My appreciation for the care we receive from our Heavenly Father is renewed. God’s peace and joy rise up through His Word and His presence. It’s never too late to usher in God’s peace and joy found in the true meaning of Christmas. 

-- Jamie Trunnel, from the blog “A Scriptured Life: Making sense of life through Scripture”

#5757

FAITH AND A PILE OF ROCKS

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”  (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)

A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral. 

-- Antoine De Saint-Exupery 


#4513