Hope

HOPE is the first of our advent devotions. I have found that there are so many scriptures that come to my mind, points to be made and applications we can make to our lives. All of which leave me feeling warm, comfortable and ready for Christmas. Passively agreeing that our God is a God that brings hope to those who need it this season.

I could leave my writing as it is or carry on writing in that contented way. However, there must be something more; there is more and, most importantly, I want to know more.

Every year I wrestle the commercialism of Christmas, as I am sure so many Christians do. That balance between what we face in advertisement and expectation, to what we describe as the “real meaning”. 

I ride along the advent themed services, fervently joining in with Micheal Bublé when a carol comes on; in fact, I fervently join in with all of Micheal Bublé’s play list. All of which gets me in the Christmas spirit, but somehow leaves me missing the miracle of the birth of Jesus and the hope we have in Him.

I know I have been guilty of disconnecting the birth of Jesus to anything else in the bible, as if the birth of Christ is a standalone event.

Yet, when reading my advent devotions, I came across Isaiah 61:1 :

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
 because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners”.

Wow! Wow, wow, wow, wow! 

This is the purpose of the birth of Jesus. HE IS THE MESSIAH.  He is our life giver; he is our father; he is our healer; he is our peace; he is our comfort; he is our joy and our friend...

HE IS THE BRINGER OF HOPE!

Isaiah is foretelling of the Messiah; the same God today, as yesterday, and all our tomorrows.

A Messiah that has the spirit and anointing to change my life, situation or circumstance.  That will preach a new way of living, and through the birth of Jesus, proclaim freedom over us.
A Messiah who has an everlasting covenant with us, his chosen people.

Jesus truly is the HOPE our world needs today. He is my Hope. He wants to be your HOPE.

This Christmas our hope shouldn’t be found in what we are longing for under the tree, but in Christ who makes all things possible, no matter what.

written by Lois Evans