November 30, 2020
And now, O Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you. – Psalm 39:7
If you are participating in Advent at home, light the first candle – the candle of hope.
This year, more than a season, or a momentary thought, hope has been on our minds. With all that this year has brought, we have needed hope in which to cling, in which to get through, in which we might believe something better is on the horizon.
Still, today, we wait with great hope for the day that this pandemic becomes a memory, and we can embrace the ones we love without fear or hesitation. Hope, however, is more than the sense of what might be. We might ask where does hope originate? How long have people had hope, and seemingly it has been since the beginning of time that hope can be seen as a needed element in our lives.
Even if we look at the biblical story of Adam and Eve, who had all that they could imagine, paradise in the garden. After they were deceived by the serpents, and ate of the forbidden fruit, however they lost the innocence of having all their needs provided. It did not stop their lives, but it did make it more difficult. I wonder if when their first children were born, they began to have hope that life would be better for them?
We always hope life is better for those who come after us, many of us strive and toil that we can make life better for our children. We always hope that tomorrow will be better than today. I cling to this type of hope even now, even though days are moving along fine, I can still have that hope that tomorrow will be better.
In this season, we wait with great anticipation the coming of Christ, we know that Christ has already come among us, but in Christ and with Christ’s forgiveness in our lives, we have a hope that is enduring and everlasting; a hope that will see us through our waiting times. For what does your heart hope for today? May you wait on the Lord, with great hope, for he will secure you in his arms, bring his wisdom and truth, offer forgiveness, and give you a better tomorrow.
Grace & Peace,
Sam