See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
1 John 3:1-3
Hope. Hope has come as Jesus. We’re at the time of year when it’s a bit “more acceptable” to talk about faith, hope, and love. People expect to hear messages about Jesus, to see nativity scenes, and will often attend a church service this time of year. Whether they want to admit it or not, people need hope.
According to Dictionary.com, hope is “the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.” People want to know that things are going to be okay.
Jesus is the hope that this world needs. He came to earth to be the hope for a world that didn’t have any. It was a world that was tied to laws and sacrifices. But He came so that we could become children of God and have hope, not only for our present but also for our future.
Hope grows into confidence. The confidence of knowing that our future is secure in Christ. That our lives will turn out for the best when we lay it all at His feet. This hope will give us the confidence to trust Him with all areas of our lives. We’ll have confidence that things are going to be okay. Then we can radiate that hope to the world around us.
A perfect body. An adoring spouse. A successful child. A job title. Nothing and no one but Jesus can give us hope. Even though He was a tiny baby, they knew He was different. They may not have grasped exactly what it was, but the shepherds, the wise men, and His parents, knew Jesus was different.
Hope had come for them. And Hope has come for you, too. Receive it then radiate it to others.
Action Step
Make a Christmas list. But not for material things. What are you hoping for in your life? What intangible things can you ask for that can only come from a Savior who came to give us hope?
Prayer
God, I want my hope to be only in You. Help me to not be distracted by things that look good on the outside. My hope rests in Your love and goodness and in Your promises to me. In Your name I pray, Amen.
This devotion was adapted from my book Turn Your Holidays into Holy-Days: 31 Day Guide to a Happy Healthy December.
