Advent is a season of anticipation, a time when we look forward to what’s to come. We also look back to consider the waiting and longing that God’s people endured before the coming of the Messiah. The ancient Israelites lived in a time of oppression and uncertainty, but they held onto God’s promises. Though they could not see the fulfillment of these promises, they trusted that God would be faithful. They had hope in their waiting.

The Promise of Hope

Today, we reflect on the hope we have because of God’s faithfulness.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

The Israelites’ hope was not in what they could understand or control; it was in the promises and faithfulness of God. Abraham had hope that God would provide a son. Moses had hope that the Israelites would see the Promised Land. The Psalmist repeatedly says he puts his hope in the Lord. Hope sustained God’s people through generations, guiding them through seasons of silence and struggle.

We see the fulfillment of God’s promises in the past and await the fulfillment of his promises for us, too. We know that things are not as they should be because we live in a broken world. Yet, we too, have hope that Jesus will come again to make all things right. We are not alone in the waiting, because the Holy Spirit within us gives us power.

Hebrews 6:19 (NLT)
“This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.”

Romans 15:13 (NIV)
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Hope Found in Jesus Alone

In a world often marked by uncertainty, it can be tempting to place our hope in temporary solutions, whether that is success, relationships, or our own efforts. But Advent invites us to shift our focus, remembering that true hope is found only in Jesus. Jesus fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 42, quoted in Matthew 12:21 “And His name will be the hope of all the world.” Jesus is the fulfillment of every promise, the light in our darkness, and the assurance of our future. In Him, we find a living hope that sustains us through every season.

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How are you nurturing hope in your current season? Are you trusting in things you can see, or are you planting your faith in Jesus, the One who came to fulfill every promise and who will come again to make all things new?