Advent Devotional: Make Room for Jesusنموونە

Day 3: Make Room for Hope

Hope is a promise of what is to come. It’s based on faith and a belief that what is unseen will eventually come to pass. The people of the Old Testament had been longing and hoping for a Messiah for a very long time. It was a hope that had been passed down from generation to generation. The prophets promised and assured and the people believed and waited. But wouldn’t you imagine that over time doubt must have crept in? We know that in our human tendencies it’s easy to let distrust seep in if there’s not some sort of concrete evidence along the way to prove validity. That’s why Isaiah the prophet is so key in this story of the promised hope of a Messiah. He said...

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." - Isaiah 7:14

The word “sign” in this passage means “ a pledge”. God used Isaiah to remind them of hope. He pledged that He saw them in their hardships and struggles and He hadn’t forgotten they were waiting. The long-awaited divine hope in Jesus wasn’t far off but coming very soon.

How often do we need that reminder of hope? When it feels like we’ve been waiting and waiting for an answer or a resolution, our human nature struggles to cling to hope. That’s why there is such importance in remembering God’s promises. He says He has a hope and a future for us (Jeremiah 29:11). That's a promise we can cling to.

Reflect:

• How has doubt been a disrupter in your faith journey?
• Why is hope such a powerful tool for overcoming doubt?
• What is one area you feel God is asking you to trust Him in?

Pray:

Write out a prayer to God confessing your doubt and acknowledging that His promises are true. Then thank God for the promise from Jeremiah 29:11...

“For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”