IMMANUEL ~ The Gift of WITH - Advent Day 4

HOPE

Changes, disappointment, loss…we’ve all been there. Holiday seasons can remind us acutely of the deep impact these realities have had on our hearts. Sometimes we feel more dread than hope. You may even wonder “will it always be this way?” It is hard to hope for good, for better, or for what we want in the face of pain or unmet longing. But God invites us to rest in hope and to anticipate good - all the while knowing the challenges our hearts face. How is this possible? 

We are promised that because of Jesus, our “hope will not be put to shame”, meaning our hope will not embarrass us or become another disappointment (Romans 5:5). Hoping without disappointment sounds like a great deal! But this kind of hoping requires that we are counting on a sure thing. Our sure starting thing is actually found in who Jesus IS. Because of His sure character and promises to us, we can always hope in Him being what we need. We can rest in hope for the future knowing that today that we are loved, we are safe, we are secure. We can have confident hope & entrust our future to His car, because what you need is who HE IS. 

Take a moment and notice what you have been hoping for…where has disappointment has kept you from hoping at all? Take a minute to acknowledge your longing - what is it? Love, belonging, acceptance, purpose? Shift your attention to who Jesus IS and place your hope there. He is that for you today, He will be that for you tomorrow too. 

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13