Advent Hope By Jessie Young

“The Advent season is a season of waiting, but our whole life is an Advent season, that is, a season of waiting for the last Advent, for the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

 

The question is, how will we wait? With hopeful expectation or anxious dread? 

 

Imagine for a minute: Mary just found out she is pregnant with the Messiah by the power of the Holy Spirit. She’s young and unmarried. It must have been a huge shock. She rushes off to her cousin Elizabeth, who is also miraculously pregnant. Elizabeth greets Mary and blesses her saying “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her.” (Luke 1:45 CSB) 

 

Mary believed the promises of God and walked in them. She trusted God proclaiming, “'I am the Lord’s servant,' said Mary, 'May it be done to me according to your word.'” (Luke 1:38 CSB) King Jesus was on the way. Words spoken hundreds of years before were being fulfilled. Mary was seeing promises fulfilled in real time. 

 

“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6 CSB) 

 

God is a Promise Maker and a Promise Keeper. We, too, can have hope because of the promises of God. We too, can see promises being fulfilled around us in real time. We can walk through this life, whatever comes our way, with hopeful expectation because of Jesus. When we are in Christ, our future is secure. One day the pains of this life will be no more. 

 

“Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.” Revelation 21:3-4

 

This Advent season, walk with hopeful expectation and trust in the promises of God. 

 

Read: Luke 1, Isaiah 9:1-7, Revelation 21:1-6

Pray: for God to give you eyes to see his promises being fulfilled in your life, and that you would walk confidently with God.

Worship: Hope Has a Name by River Valley Worship

Proclaim the enduring hope of the gospel with someone you come in contact with this week.

_____________

 

 Expectation. Anticipation. Hope.

Welcome to Week 2 of our Advent Series. We hope you've been able to quiet your heart a bit at the start of this Christmas Season. We invite you now to take a breath, minimize distraction, and give yourself five minutes to reflect on the Hope found in Jesus.

  • Video features: Advent Art Cards by Beth Edfeldt Art and snippets from @EveryLittleSeed NEW RELEASE Relentless Pursuit
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www.everylittleseed.com (Royalty Free Music "O Come O Come Emmanuel" used with permission by Music for Videos on Pixaby)