"Hope"
Hope is not optimism, nor is it wishful thinking. Hope is a certainty rooted in the character and promises of God. It is the quiet conviction that, even when we stand in the shadows, a greater light is on its way.
Advent is the season the Church pauses to remember that the world waited once for Christ to come and still waits for His return. It is a season of holy longing, steady trust, and expectant hope.
Scripture anchors our hope not in ourselves, but in God’s faithful action: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2
Hope comes from God’s proven faithfulness. What He has promised, He fulfills. What He begins, He completes. What He speaks, He brings to pass.
As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote:
“The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, who look forward to something greater to come. For these, it is enough to wait in humble fear until the Holy One himself comes down to us, God in the child in the manger. God comes. The Lord Jesus comes. Christmas comes. Christians rejoice!” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer
True hope arises when we recognize both our need and God’s promise. We look back to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the Word became flesh. We look forward to His second coming, God bringing the story to completion. The first Advent proves that God keeps His promises; the second Advent reminds us that His greatest promise is still ahead.
When we light the first candle of Advent, the Candle of Hope, we proclaim again that darkness does not get the final word. Christ does. Christ’s birth was light breaking into a silent night. Christ’s return will be light breaking into a weary world.
Hope is not passive. It draws us toward the light. Hope shapes how we wait, how we walk, and how we worship. Jesus said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
Hope draws us to that Light. It reminds us that the world is not abandoned, that our lives are not without purpose, and that God is actively redeeming all things.
Hope becomes a lamp for our feet because Christ Himself is the Light that guides us.
Lord Jesus, Light of the world, as we enter this season of waiting and longing, renew our hope in You. Let the remembrance of Your first coming strengthen our faith in Your return.
Shine Your light into our darkness, and teach us to wait with expectation, anticipation, joy, and trust which strengthens our HOPE! In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.
Advent is the season the Church pauses to remember that the world waited once for Christ to come and still waits for His return. It is a season of holy longing, steady trust, and expectant hope.
Scripture anchors our hope not in ourselves, but in God’s faithful action: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2
Hope comes from God’s proven faithfulness. What He has promised, He fulfills. What He begins, He completes. What He speaks, He brings to pass.
As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote:
“The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, who look forward to something greater to come. For these, it is enough to wait in humble fear until the Holy One himself comes down to us, God in the child in the manger. God comes. The Lord Jesus comes. Christmas comes. Christians rejoice!” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer
True hope arises when we recognize both our need and God’s promise. We look back to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the Word became flesh. We look forward to His second coming, God bringing the story to completion. The first Advent proves that God keeps His promises; the second Advent reminds us that His greatest promise is still ahead.
When we light the first candle of Advent, the Candle of Hope, we proclaim again that darkness does not get the final word. Christ does. Christ’s birth was light breaking into a silent night. Christ’s return will be light breaking into a weary world.
Hope is not passive. It draws us toward the light. Hope shapes how we wait, how we walk, and how we worship. Jesus said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
Hope draws us to that Light. It reminds us that the world is not abandoned, that our lives are not without purpose, and that God is actively redeeming all things.
Hope becomes a lamp for our feet because Christ Himself is the Light that guides us.
Lord Jesus, Light of the world, as we enter this season of waiting and longing, renew our hope in You. Let the remembrance of Your first coming strengthen our faith in Your return.
Shine Your light into our darkness, and teach us to wait with expectation, anticipation, joy, and trust which strengthens our HOPE! In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.
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