An Advent Devotional.
Child of Hope
To us a Child of hope is born,
To us a Son is giv’n,
Him shall the tribes of earth obey,
Him all the hosts of Heav’n.
His Name shall be the Prince of Peace,
Forevermore adored,
The Wonderful, the Counselor,
The great and mighty Lord.
His pow’r, increasing, still shall spread,
His reign no end shall know,
Justice shall guard His throne above,
And peace abound below.
To us a Child of hope is born,
To us a Son is giv’n,
The Wonderful, the Counselor,
The mighty Lord of Heav’n.
John Morrison
Hoping for the Messiah
For hundreds of years the people of Israel had been waiting for the Messiah, longing for the Anointed One to come. However, their vision was not uniform. Some expected the Messiah to be the Son of David, a leader who would restore the Kingdom of Israel. Others interpreted the prophecies of the Old Testament in terms of spiritual renewal. Most dreamed of military victory over the hated Romans, liberation for a people long-oppressed. Yet, if they could not agree about the details of His coming, all Jews were united in that they looked, with eager expectation, for “the consolation of Israel” to come(Luke 2:25).
Few people would have looked for Him in a manger, in a cattle shed, in Bethlehem. Fewer still would have expected a Savior who would suffer and die for their sins. Blinded by their hopes for a political leader, they overlooked the clear prophecies of a suffering servant (Isaiah 53). They allowed their circumstances to shape their hope. It took Calvary, and an empty tomb, to convince the fledgling Church that the Kingdom of God is not of this world.
Looking back, the early Christians recognized, in the birth of Jesus, the coming of the Child of Hope. May you know that hope in your life – a settled confidence in the person, promises and purposes of God, revealed to us in Jesus Christ.
Advent Sunday,
Hope in God
But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in You.
Psalm 39:7
We hope for many things – for love or security, or for the pain to go away. Often our hope is little more than wishful thinking. The Stock Market craters and as we turn on CNN we say, “Let it not be as bad as yesterday!” Have you ever wondered to whom we are speaking when we make these remarks? Most of the time, we’re not really talking to anyone, we’re not even talking to ourselves, we’re just expressing our dreams. Usually, it’s pretty harmless, even if it does make the cat look at us sideways, as if she is asking, “What do you expect me to do about Wall Street?”
At times, though, our half-uttered requests are more than hot air, they are prayers. Entering the hospital bedroom, our “Let her be better” is more than mere words. Whether we admit it or not, our words are a form of intercession. Which begs a question – “To whom do we pray?” Some people address their prayers to their ancestors, others to various saints, still others to the universe, of which they feel a part.
For the Christian, our prayers are always addressed to God. We may name Him Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, but the intention is the same. The God whom we have met in Scripture and in our experience is the One to whom we turn, almost instinctively. We can say, therefore, that He is the One in whom we place our hope. Like King David, in Psalm 39, searching for help in a hard place, we turn to the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. We place our trust in the God revealed through His Son, and we ask for the help that only He can give.
Prayer for the Day
Father God,
Source of all wisdom and all joy,
we bow before Your will.
May all of our deepest hopes
be in line with Your Word.
As we begin our journey through Advent,
may we know the assurance of Your pardon
and the comfort of Your peace.
We ask it in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
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