Advent: The Candle of Hope

The joyous time of Advent has arrived! Advent is a special time for Christians as we prepare our hearts for the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The same hope that looked for the birth of the Savior looks today for His triumphal return. Our celebration begins as we light the first candle on the Advent wreath...the candle of Hope.

Oh, I am so thankful for the hope we have in Jesus Christ! As we light the candle of Hope, we anticipate the triumphal return of our Lord and Savior. Our hope of Jesus' return is rooted in the fulfillment of the prophecy of His birth. This prophecy and hope is spoken of in Romans 15:12-13:

And again, Isaiah says,“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
    one who will arise to rule over the nations;
    in him the Gentiles will hope.”May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This hope stirs in my heart as I eagerly await the return of my Savior. Jesus, Himself, prophesied of His own return in Matthew 24:44. Jesus says here, "So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Every day I want to live in expectation of Jesus' return. We do not know when the hour will be, but the hope we have can fill our days with joy and peace while we are waiting because our hope rests in our God Who is faithful to do all that He has said He will do.

H Hope that Harkens to all of mankind. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

O Hope that Offers everlasting life. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

P Hope that Promises made will be fulfilled. "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23

E Hope that Eternity in Heaven is coming.  "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:3

What are you hoping for this Advent season? Is there anything that you are placing your hope in that is fleeting? Do you need to shift your heart's focus back to the Savior in expectation of His return during this holiday season? Let us all examine our heart's today and if need be, let us turn our eyes back to the One where our confident hope should truly rest. He definitely is returning just as He promised so long ago.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for all Your promises that are yes in Christ Jesus. My hope is found in You alone and in the promised return of my Savior. I pray that we all will keep our eyes focused in expectation of Jesus' triumphal return during this holiday season. May joy and peace fill our celebrations of the birth of Jesus and carry over into each day that we wait patiently for His return. I pray it all in the triumphant name of Jesus. Amen! 

Hoping in Jesus,
Laurie


Laurie is a daughter of the King, wife to a wonderful husband, and a mother to two beautiful children and one waiting in Heaven. Her desire is to be filled with the empowering presence of God which enables her to be who He created her to be and to do what He has called her to do. God answers this prayer by giving Laurie Grace-Filled-Moments in her journey called "life". You can find Laurie blogging at http://grace-filled-moments.blogspot.com.




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