I Hate ChristmasSample

Hope

"Getting our hopes up" is a common phrase we use when we desire a specific outcome. It signifies our emotional investment in something we hope will happen. When it does, our emotional bet pays off, and we experience relief and happiness.

However, when it doesn't come to pass, we're left feeling confused, sad, and even angry. Hope can be a deeply frustrating emotion. Is "getting our hopes up" worth the potential cost of a negative outcome?

When Jesus was born, the people of Israel had been living in a state of anticipation and hope for centuries. The Laws of Moses were given to establish the relationship between God and His people, but there had always been a promise of something more: a Messiah to rescue God's people. The Messiah would set God's people free and restore righteousness to the land. It was a hope worth clinging to.

Four hundred years passed between the end of the Old Testament and the time when Jesus was born. During that time, God was silent, and His people began to lose hope. Their circumstances were marked by pain and suffering. They had been conquered by their enemies and forced to leave their homeland. They began to question if their hope was worth it.

Through the birth of Jesus, God brought hope to His people. Jesus was the fulfillment of all the prophecies and the solution for God to save His people. It's essential to recognize the nature of the hope He provides.

When hope feels more like "wishing," it's not the kind of hope that God imparts. That's a short-term desire that we hope will be fulfilled, like saying, "I hope I get a raise" or "I hope my circumstances change."

The hope that God provides is of a long-term nature. This type of hope fills our souls. It's hope for the way things should be amidst brokenness. It's faith in God's plan for Creation. God bestowed this hope upon His people through the birth of Jesus, and He continues to offer it to us today.

No matter how many other things in our lives fall short, God remains faithful. We can hope that God will keep His promises, and someday, all things will be made right again. That's something worth getting our hopes up for.

Reflection/Prayer

How is the hope that God provides different than hoping or wishing for something to happen? Spend a few minutes in prayer asking God to give you true hope.