Hope is Kindled
Written by Josh Taylor
"For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."
-Romans 8:24-25
Hope is a word that awakens something inside of us the moment we hear it. There’s something about that word that draws in our hearts, anticipating the joy that will come. Hope is not only something that can come quickly and bring joy, but it is also something that can fade just as quickly into the darkness.
The people of Israel knew this well. They had long been searching for hope, clinging to the many Old Testament prophecies that promised a Deliverer who would bring hope to their nation. Yet for generations, hope seemed distant and unseen. That hope came as a baby in a manger whose name was Jesus. But many missed Him. They didn’t expect hope to come in this form.
Through His life, death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus brings hope. This began in a manger in Bethlehem where hope was kindled, not to deliver us from kings or rulers, but to deliver us from our greatest enemy, sin.
Paul encourages believers that our hope is found not in our money, our jobs, or our status, but in a baby born in Bethlehem named Jesus. May this season remind us that our hope is found in Jesus and Jesus alone.
PRAYER: Jesus, I pray that this season our hope would be found in You, not the festivities or presents or ceremonies, but in the person and work of Jesus. May our hearts find rest in You. Amen.
