Hope

Hope is anticipating that which is to come. Hope equips us to believe that things can be different.

In the OT, Gods people waited in anticipation of God keeping His promise for them & the world. Hope that the prophecies were true, that He hadn’t changed His mind. That deliverance & redemption for mankind was coming.

We celebrate Christmas because that hope came one night.

Jesus is hope. Therefore we look at hope in a new context. I believe in several ways actually.

• In Christ we have hope because of the assurance of the resurrection & eternal life. So we can look to His next coming with confidence.
• We know His salvation, we are recipients of the promise, and we know the way of deliverance & redemption. He has changed & continues to change us & our circumstances. We are never without hope.
• He is a Living hope, resident in us that allows us to extend hope to others.
• How can we extend hope to those who feel helpless, marginalized, & hopeless? Our befriending those in these situations brings hope to them, hope comes & stands next to them, talks to them, perhaps gives them something.
• Hope is the first step in recovery or change.
• Life begins with hope

Do you see hope being shared all around us at Christmas time? I believe this is the time of year we have great opportunities to bring hope to people. Can I encourage you to look for them?