12 Dec God’s Gift of Hope
One of my favorite Christmas memories was when I was just a toddler, and I decided that I wanted to have a real live bird’s nest on our family Christmas tree. My brother who was five years older than me, loved to take care of me, so he decided he would go out and find one. Sure enough, Kenny climbed way up high into a tree and got me one. My mom wasn’t too happy, but I sure was! I will never forget it. Even though that was just a small act of kindness, I think it proves a point about the holidays, and it’s this: we are all seeking kindness this time of year. Of course, we all should want to give it. But this year, I want to challenge us all to receive it as well.
Isaiah 63:7 says, “I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us– yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses.”
Notice that the author wrote many kindnesses. That’s proof that God wants to do huge things for and in you this holiday season. But in order to receive those things, we have got to learn to do one thing: live in His hope. This holiday season and always, God wants you to find hope in your circumstances. He wants you to dream about the things that can happen in your life because of how much He loves you and because of the power He has to bring change. When we put our hope in Him, we will never be put to shame.
Romans 5:5 says the hope we gain by trusting in our Father is one that delights us, never disappoints us. Hebrews 6:19 says that this hope acts as an anchor for our souls, keeping us steady when the storms of life try to shake us. How do we know if we are holding on to hope well? Let’s take a look at some of the symptoms of hopelessness. The first sign of hopelessness is a deep disappointment on the inside of your heart. When you’re experiencing this, you feel your past has already destroyed your future. You think that surely, life could never get any better.
The second sign of hopelessness is you feel distanced from God. When something goes wrong, you question why God allowed it to happen to you. You doubt His nature as a loving Father. If you are dealing with either of these, I encourage you to begin replacing those thoughts of disappointment and distance with thoughts of hope. Remind yourself of the things God has already done, and remember that He will do them again.
I don’t know what has you down today, but I do know this: HOPE is the best way to get into the desires God’s placed in your heart. So let’s choose today to hold onto hope!