God Speaks Hope

Photo by Adam Nieścioruk on Unsplash

 Unprecedented!  New normal!  Are you as sick as I of hearing these phrases? Maybe "different" or "non-traditional" are better phrases. As we enter the 2020 holiday season, it seems that once again it will be a different type of celebration this year. It seems that 2020 will never end and doesn't leave us much room for Hope. Traditionally during Advent, churches will theme their services around four specific traits/characteristics of God as we approach the celebration of the coming of baby Jesus. This past Sunday, our church focused on Hope. It is appropriate that the first week of Advent the focus is on Hope since this year seems to be a bit unhopeful. Many of us have spent a different year of birthday celebrations and even Thanksgiving get togethers. Looking towards Christmas celebrations, it seems likely that it will not be a traditional year for that either. The One steadfast and never-changing Hope that we have in all of these unusual times is our Heavenly Father. Even though everything around us may be different or change, God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. 

Malachi 3:6--"Because I am the Eternal One, I never change; as a result, you children of Jacob have not been destroyed though your blessing may have been delayed."

Because God does not change, we have the hope that we will not be destroyed and that a blessing is yet to come. God does not want His children to suffer and be without Hope. He promises that we have a blessing in the future. Right now we can't see the blessing(s) in this "new normal", but one day we will see and understand.

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Jeremiah 29:11--"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

Here is Hope--God thinks about us! That is an awesome way to have Hope. The Creator of the world thinks about us.  What's more, He not only thinks about us, but sings over us as well.

Zephaniah 3:17--"The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."

This is one of my favorite verses and now combined with the previous, it gives me hope to know that God thinks about me and rejoices over me with singing. 

Photo by Joseph Barrientos on Unsplash

Let us not lose hope in this crazy year! Maybe it's a year to start new traditions, to focus on our blessings without as much busyness, and to focus on the Hope that God gives us.

Heaven--"And know that in heaven, you have a great reward."  Matt. 5:12

Overcome--"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Power--"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."  Isaiah 40:29

Eternal life--"Those who believe in the Son will bask in eternal life, but those who disobey the Son will never experience life."  John 3:36