Advent Week 01 - The Candle of Hope
by Gail Rodgers
http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/devotionalItem/advent_-_week_01/
Preparing Our Heart For Christmas
Christmas is coming! Loved ones to see, gifts to give, baking to share. We prepare our homes for the celebration. Yet even more important than this outward preparation is the preparation of our heart. The Advent season is a beautiful reminder to prepare our hearts, as we prepare our homes, to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus! Today we light the first of the four candles in the Advent Wreath, the candle of Hope.
Is your heart filled with hope? Do you have a confident expectation of your
tomorrow? What happens when the road ahead is filled with loss and stress weighs
your shoulders down? When confident expectation in life’s tomorrow dwindles,
what can you do? How can you walk in hope when you feel hopeless inside?Christmas is coming! Loved ones to see, gifts to give, baking to share. We prepare our homes for the celebration. Yet even more important than this outward preparation is the preparation of our heart. The Advent season is a beautiful reminder to prepare our hearts, as we prepare our homes, to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus! Today we light the first of the four candles in the Advent Wreath, the candle of Hope.
In one word the answer to confident expectation is “JESUS”…the Jesus of Christmas.
Hope in Jesus comes from more than just a belief that He was once a baby in a manger. This hope in Him has been called “an anchor for the soul”. It is something deep within that secures you through the storms of life. Putting your hope in Jesus will give you these four things.
Hope for H elp
We are invited to come to Him and confidently ask for help. Hebrews 4:16 tells us:
“to come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in our time of need”. Hebrews 4:16Hope to O vercome
Things that leave one feeling powerless and hopeless come in many forms. With Christ’s strength you can overcome great obstacles, and faith in Jesus gives hope and help to overcome. 1 John 5:4 says:
“and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” 1 John 5:4Hope for P ower
Sometimes in life we find ourselves with a task that simply looks too big for us. We do not just need a cup of God’s strength added to our own; rather we need His strength in us to do what we need to do. He will give it! 2Cor. 12:9 says:
“My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness”. 2 Cor. 12:9Seeing our weakness as the entry point of God’s strength gives access to His power!
Hope for E ternity
When we put our faith and hope in Jesus, it not only gives us help, strength and power where we walk today but it also gives us hope for life after death. It is a confident expectation of the ultimate “tomorrow”.
The God of Hope sent His son to be our Savior. He is only one prayer away. If you want the confident expectation of His strength and wisdom in your today and His help and hope for your tomorrow, you need only ask. Just tell Him…