Twenty Six Days of Advent - "H" - "Hope"

December 7, 2013 “H” – “Hope” “Christ within us is our hope of Glory.” (Colossians 1:27) As I walk down memory lane, as I do quite often this time of year, I remember as a small child wishing with all my heart for a baby doll. I just wished, I knew I didn’t dare hope because I knew Mother couldn’t afford to buy me one with so many children for whom to buy. She made most of our Christmas presents. I had been given hand-me-down baby dolls but I wanted a new one that I could dress, feed and it would cry. After several years of wishing, and I was getting too old to play with a doll – I got one. I’m sure my older sisters had a part in that purchase. But now I didn’t want one – I was too old and my hope for ever getting one had been delayed too long. I have since been reminded of my disappointment when I read Proverbs 13:12, which says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.” We may hope (probably more of a wish) that God would remove the undesirable politicians out of office and make things right in the government. We hope (wish) the economy will right itself, and our military can end all wars and make peace in the world. We may hope (wish) that all diseases would be cured. The list of our hopes could go on and on, but true hope has to be anchored in the Truth of Jesus – what He has said in prophecies and promises, and in the Truth of Who He is! Our hope in His Word is the “anchor of our souls” (Heb.6:19). Our hope is never disappointed in Jesus! He is always on time and if we wait and hope He will make everything beautiful in its time (Eccl.3:11). Hope is a part of faith, an assurance down deep in our hearts that what we hope for will come to pass because God said it and we believe it. Hope is a patient, expectant “waiting” for God’s timing, knowing that in His time He fulfills all of His promises. Hope is a focus on God’s promised results although we don’t see or have those tangible results in our hands or in our sight. Hope is not illusive, but a solid and sure thing, not in our hands yet but fully assured that for which we are hoping will come and we have peace in believing. (Romans 8:24). We can say with Paul, “Jesus is our sure hope,” (I Timothy 1:1). Christmas immediately follows the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year, therefore has the most hours of darkness (I don’t like darkness). In the spiritual realm, Jesus came to dispel the darkness of sin. In John 8:12 Jesus speaks of Himself as being the “Light of the world,” and Isaiah prophesied that “the people who walked in darkness and the shadow of death have seen a great Light.” This Light is Jesus and He brought hope into this darkened world, and with His coming our hope is fulfilled. We now have hope in the present and sure hope for the future. Hope is the “anchor of our souls,” and with patient endurance this hope will endure to the end. Paul called Christ, the Messiah, the hope of Israel, and since born again Christians have been grafted into the Vine, He is our hope also. How sad for those who have no hope. If we haven’t seen that the Light shines into eternity and “hope only in this life, we are most miserable” (I Cor.15:19). We hope in His promises; and He has promised that one of the reasons He came into this world was to give us abundant life, here and now, and hope of eternal life. “Jesus is our Hope of glory, and His hope doesn’t make ashamed,” (Colossians 1:27; Romans 5:5). This is my prayer for you at this Christmas time when we celebrate the birth of the Christ Child, the baby Who brought hope into this dark world: “May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing with hope.” (Romans 15:13) My Hope Is In the Lord Norman J. Clayton My hope is in the Lord Who gave Himself for me, And paid the price of all my sin at Calvary. No merit of my own His anger to surpress; My only hope is found in Jesus’ righteousness. And now for me He stands before the Father’s throne; He shows His wounded hands and names me as His own. His grace has planned it all – “Tis mine but to believe, And recognize His work of love, and Christ receive. For me He died, For me He lives; And everlasting life and light He freely gives.