There's Still Hope - December 2022
Every time I read the account of Jesus' birth in the Bible, I fall into a deep curiosity wondering what it must have been like to live a life waiting for the Savior. Outside of the messages that had been passed down from generation to generation, there was no evidence describing what our Kings arrival was like. The birth, ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus had not yet taken place. Those who lived before Christ (BC), had to trust the word of God spoken through the prophets, believing that God's Word would come to pass. Despite the sin that had been present since Adam and Eve, and despite the destruction that sin had caused to this point, believers in God had to hold on to the promises that the Messiah would come, one day. Long story short, our BC family had no choice but to remain hopeful that the Savior would indeed come, and they held on to that hope with their very lives.
There are multiple definitions for the word "hope". One says, "to cherish a desire with anticipation; to want something to happen or to be true." Another definition says, "to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment." The third definition, which in my opinion conveys best what it must have been like to wait for the savior to be revealed, says, "to expect with confidence." I can imagine how overjoyed the world was when the word began to travel that the Savior had been born. He was FINALLY here! As we know, time passed, and Jesus went on to do great things in His ministry. He was then crucified, He died, He was buried, He rose again, and He eventually went back home to Heaven. Just like that...He was gone.
What would the world do now? The world had to tap into that same hope that their ancestors passed down to them generations before. They had to trust that God had a plan and that he wouldn't leave things like this. They had to remember what it felt like to expect with confidence. They had to trust that regardless of how bad things seemed, Jesus was still the Messiah, and although it seemed like the end, it was far from it.
Fast forward to present day. We're still waiting for our Savior. The major difference between waiting for Jesus then and waiting for Jesus now, is that we have access to Him in a way that our Old Testament Brothers and Sisters could only dream of. We're not waiting on a savior to save us from our sins. Jesus already did that. We are waiting for Jesus to return to rescue His people from the Earth, and take us to Heaven to spend eternity with Him. On top of all that, He loves us so much that He left the Holy Spirit to guide us, comfort us, reassure us, and yes even convict us. (Romans 5:5) We still have good days and bad days. We still face daily challenges. We still live in a sin sick world. Thankfully on this side of the cross we are waiting in anticipation of His return, rather than His arrival.
The more we read the Word of God, the stronger our faith gets. (Romans 10:17) As our faith get's stronger, it will become harder and harder for opposition (the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world) (Ephesians 6:17) to shift our perspective away from Jesus as the true Savior of this world. (Hebrews 10:23) The Word tells us to rejoice in our confident hope. (Romans 12:12) The Word tells us that faith is the assurance of things hoped for. (Hebrews 11:1) The Word tells us that we were born again again to a living hope. (1 Peter 1:3) All roads labeled "hope" lead to Jesus...and that is great news!!
As Believers today, we have access to the Word of God 24/7. The Apostles wrote first hand accounts of Jesus' life, and thanks to their obedience we can read it, meditate on it, and believe in all that it says. David didn't have that. Noah didn't have that. The disciples didn't have that - but we do! So do we have every reason in the world to be hopeful? Absolutely!
References
Hope Bible Verses. (2022, December 3). Retrieved from Bible Study Tools: https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/hope-bible-verses/
Merriam-Webster. (2022, December 1). Hope Definition. Retrieved from Merriam-Webster Dictionary: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hope
Tyndale House Foundation. (1996, 2004, 2015). Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Carol Stream, Illinois. All rights reserved.: Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
There are multiple definitions for the word "hope". One says, "to cherish a desire with anticipation; to want something to happen or to be true." Another definition says, "to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment." The third definition, which in my opinion conveys best what it must have been like to wait for the savior to be revealed, says, "to expect with confidence." I can imagine how overjoyed the world was when the word began to travel that the Savior had been born. He was FINALLY here! As we know, time passed, and Jesus went on to do great things in His ministry. He was then crucified, He died, He was buried, He rose again, and He eventually went back home to Heaven. Just like that...He was gone.
What would the world do now? The world had to tap into that same hope that their ancestors passed down to them generations before. They had to trust that God had a plan and that he wouldn't leave things like this. They had to remember what it felt like to expect with confidence. They had to trust that regardless of how bad things seemed, Jesus was still the Messiah, and although it seemed like the end, it was far from it.
Fast forward to present day. We're still waiting for our Savior. The major difference between waiting for Jesus then and waiting for Jesus now, is that we have access to Him in a way that our Old Testament Brothers and Sisters could only dream of. We're not waiting on a savior to save us from our sins. Jesus already did that. We are waiting for Jesus to return to rescue His people from the Earth, and take us to Heaven to spend eternity with Him. On top of all that, He loves us so much that He left the Holy Spirit to guide us, comfort us, reassure us, and yes even convict us. (Romans 5:5) We still have good days and bad days. We still face daily challenges. We still live in a sin sick world. Thankfully on this side of the cross we are waiting in anticipation of His return, rather than His arrival.
The more we read the Word of God, the stronger our faith gets. (Romans 10:17) As our faith get's stronger, it will become harder and harder for opposition (the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world) (Ephesians 6:17) to shift our perspective away from Jesus as the true Savior of this world. (Hebrews 10:23) The Word tells us to rejoice in our confident hope. (Romans 12:12) The Word tells us that faith is the assurance of things hoped for. (Hebrews 11:1) The Word tells us that we were born again again to a living hope. (1 Peter 1:3) All roads labeled "hope" lead to Jesus...and that is great news!!
As Believers today, we have access to the Word of God 24/7. The Apostles wrote first hand accounts of Jesus' life, and thanks to their obedience we can read it, meditate on it, and believe in all that it says. David didn't have that. Noah didn't have that. The disciples didn't have that - but we do! So do we have every reason in the world to be hopeful? Absolutely!
References
Hope Bible Verses. (2022, December 3). Retrieved from Bible Study Tools: https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/hope-bible-verses/
Merriam-Webster. (2022, December 1). Hope Definition. Retrieved from Merriam-Webster Dictionary: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hope
Tyndale House Foundation. (1996, 2004, 2015). Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Carol Stream, Illinois. All rights reserved.: Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
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