The Advent Adventure- 19 Days to Christmas: Hope Comes In Unexpected Places
“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope.
For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
Romans 8:24-25 (ESV)
Faith and hope go together. You can’t really have one without the other. But what distinguishes Biblical hope from wishful thinking? Biblical hope is not anxious anticipation, but confident assurance that God will do what He says He will do. That’s why the writer of Hebrews could say, “Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen.” in Hebrews 11:1 (ASV)
Have you experienced that kind of hope with confident assurance that God would indeed come through even when you couldn’t see a way? This is, in fact, what saving faith is all about. Paul writes about it in Romans 8:24-25 (ESV) when he says, “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
How do we maintain such hope in what we cannot see? For me, this has become the adventure of faith as I’m discovering more and more that hope comes in the most unexpected places. Here are three examples:
1. A Manger in Bethlehem – Just ask the shepherds
“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.’ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.’ When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.” Luke 2:8-17 (NLT)
These shepherds, like all of Israel, awaited the advent of Christ, the hope of Israel! God rewarded their faith, but what they couldn’t imagine was that this Hope of Israel would be the Hope of the world – just a baby, lying in a manger! What an unexpected place to find such hope!
2. A Cross – Just ask a dying thief
“One of the criminals hanging beside Him (Jesus) scoffed, ‘So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving Yourself—and us, too, while You’re at it!’ But the other criminal protested, ‘Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into Your Kingdom.’ And Jesus replied, ‘I assure you, today you will be with Me in paradise.’” Luke 23:39-43 (NLT)
I can only imagine this hopeless thief, hoping against all hope that the man dying beside him was who He claimed to be and would save an undeserving man like him. Imagine the hope that filled his soul when Jesus said to him, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Talk about an unexpected place to find hope!
3. An Empty Tomb – just ask any Christ follower over the past 2,000 plus years whose life has been changed by the power of the resurrection!
“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more [certain], now that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved (daily delivered from sin's dominion) through His [resurrection] life.” Romans 5:10 (AMP)
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
Hope does come in unexpected places. It’s what makes faith such an adventure! May God surprise you today with such hope!
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.