December 1 - Waiting for the Promise

Advent Reflection: Day 1

HOPE

Hebrews 10:23

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.”

Hope is where we start this Advent season. In fact, hope is always a good place to start.

Why, you may ask? Because of this very thing: hope is grounded firmly in God’s ability to keep His promises.  That takes the pressure off us.  No matter what we have experienced in our lives this year, we can count on God.

We sometimes use hope in our everyday conversations in a flippant way.  “I hope I get a raise. I hope it doesn’t snow. I hope I get the Christmas gift I want. I hope my family appreciates the effort I put into the preparation I made for the holidays." And the list goes on. But, the hope I am talking about is a different kind of hope. It is the hope that we can experience because of who God is. 

One definition or explanation that I found in the course of my reading is this: “Hope is a confident belief, based not on things experienced, but on the word of God that the future He says will happen. Hope is a future certainty that gives you joy, peace, and patience in the present.” Hope is not based on our emotions or circumstances. It is a choice that we make to actively expect that God will do what He says. 

During this season of Advent, the hope that we focus on is the coming of Jesus and how this event will change the course of lives and the lives of all people. I was reminded recently by a dear friend that God is a God of Hope.  That our responsibility is to do what He calls us and tells us to do, and we can ALWAYS expect that He will do what He said. God never breaks a promise.

This very truth is my hope.  The God who existed from the beginning of time, the God who created the Universe, the God who sent His one and only Son as a baby to earth, the God who offered His only Son as a sacrifice for my sin, that same God will always keep His promise to do what He said because, He never breaks a promise.

So, I ask you this today.  What has He promised you? Is there something in your heart that you care about deeply but are afraid to hope for? Is there something He has asked you to do that you are afraid to start? He is trustworthy and you can put your Hope in Him.  He never breaks a promise.