December 2-Our HOPE

It is Monday and we are fully into Advent. Yesterday began this week of remembering how Jesus brought us hope. The word “Advent” means coming in Latin and as Christians, we use these four weeks before Christmas to help us prepare for and remember why Jesus came the first time to earth. We also remember that because He came once, He will come again. 


My pastor gave an illustration yesterday about how hard it would have been for us to find Jesus if He had not come here to find us. All I could think of was how many times I lose my phone. I leave it in the most ridiculous places: On an obscure shelf in the closet, on top of a clothes basket, in my make-up drawer! There are times I could look for a month and never find it, but praise God, I have a magic watch! There’s this cute little “ping” button that makes my phone call for me no matter where it is. And it keeps calling until I find it. Jesus did the very same thing for me. He kept calling and calling and calling until I found Him. Never ever in a million years would I have found Him had He been silent. And never ever could we have known Him had He not come to earth, to take on our humanity and bear our sin. What a wonderful Savior is our God. 


““Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1:23‬ ‭NLT‬‬


“After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53:11-12‬ ‭NIV‬


Never forget that this sweet little story isn’t a sweet little Hallmark Christmas movie. Mary conceiving a child out of wedlock 2,000 years ago could have easily been put to death. She was ostracized and looked down upon, which is why she spent so much time with Elizabeth. Things were not all singing angels and wisemen, there were midnight runs to escape Herod’s soldiers and living away from family and their support system in Egypt. Jesus was born into poverty and died as a criminal. But He came to find us, to bring hope to a lost and dying world. Would we have ever found Him otherwise? Never in a million years. 


Lord Jesus, you are our hope, Emmanuel, God with us, revealed in us. How can we say thank you for coming to find us? We could never have discovered you on our own, but to know you came just for us! Wow. We thank you for the hope you give us even when this life is tough. It is a constant reminder to us that you are always working for our good and for your glory. Your hope give us meaning and purpose in this life as we anticipate the perfection of the next with you. Help us to use the hope we have for tomorrow change the way we live today. Teach us to anticipate all you promise to bring and to receive your word so that we can share it with others. We praise you Jesus. Amen and amen. 


Love you dear one,

Pam. 



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