Looking Forward With Hope

Dec 4, 2021

"Optimism is a wish without warrant; Christian hope is a certainty, guaranteed by God himself. Optimism reflects ignorance as to whether good things will ever actually come. Christian hope expresses knowledge that every day of his life, and every moment beyond it, the believer can say with truth, on the basis of God's own commitment, that the best is yet to come."

- J. I. Packer

Today completes our first week of advent focused on the ‘hope’ of Christmas. I’ve been acutely aware this week of how often I hear the word ‘hope’. I hope I get a Playstation for Christmas, I hope the pregnancy test is positive this time, I hope the biopsy is negative. Hope implies waiting, hope requires patience. Lamentations 3:25-26 says:

The Lord is good to those who hope in him, to those who seek him. It is good to wait quietly for the Lord to save.

Hope demands action. Not the type of action you may think - taking control or trying to manipulate a situation. Think about the Israelites and their forty years of wandering in the wilderness, waiting to enter the Promised Land. The journey involved the action of looking forward with hope, holding on to hope, clinging to hope.

The Israelites were oppressed by their enemies throughout the Old Testament. But they continued to look forward with hope, awaiting the Savior, the King that Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 9:6-7:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

The King was promised, but came not like they expected. They wanted a military leader who would liberate them from Roman oppression. They wanted a leader who would demand Jewish superiority. Instead, Jesus came meek and humble, and hung out with the outcasts and sinners.

Jesus was born with His eyes on the cross for all who would believe, have faith in Him.

You see, hope and faith go hand in hand. Hebrews 11:1 says:

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Friend, maybe today you find yourself holding on to hope, clinging to hope. Don’t lose faith! The Israelites were delivered, our promised Messiah has come! God is faithful to His promises.

Looking Forward With Hope

The Lord is good to those who hope in him, to those who seek him. It is good to wait quietly for the Lord to save.

The end of the story of redemption isn’t finished, so you can continue to look forward with faith and hope for your future.