The season of Advent began last Sunday. It’s a time to rejoice in the hope that lies ahead.
The Alaska Christian Women’s ministry reminds us that Advent is a season of great anticipation. We wait, hushed, in a noisy world that does not know what it’s missing. We wait in expectation for the child King’s arrival, knowing He has already come, knowing He is coming again. We wait. We hope.
What is hope exactly? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines hope as desiring something with the expectation of obtainment. What do we hope for? If we look around us, we see the world in a dire state, not a new condition for mankind.
When Jesus was born into the world, people were starving, families were broken, and nations were war-torn. Evil men ruled. Disease destroyed. Hopelessness reigned in people’s hearts.
The good news is Jesus’ arrival into this world, his birth, his life, his death, and his resurrection. Every person who meets Jesus and opens their hearts to His message finds their longings fulfilled and their expectations surpassed.
Jesus brought hope to this world. While he often brings physical hope and rescue, he always brings hope of the heart. Hope that what we desire in our innermost being – acceptance, love, forgiveness, life abundant – can be obtained despite our circumstances because His presence is always with us.