Advent Devotional Week 1–HOPE
By Rosie McGough
Mark 1:1-3 (TPT)
This is the beginning of the wonderful news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It starts with Isaiah the prophet, who wrote:
Listen! I am sending my messenger ahead of you And he will prepare your way! He is a thunderous voice of one Who shouts in the wilderness: “Prepare your hearts For the coming of the Lord Yahweh, And clear a path Inside your hearts for him!”
Matt. 2:1-2 (ESV)
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Psalm 33:20-22 (NIV)
We wait in hope for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in You.
Prov. 13:12 (ESV)
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Rev. 21:3-4 (TPT)
And I heard a thunderous voice from the throne, saying: “Look! God’s tabernacle is with human beings. And from now on he will have his home with them- ‘God-with-them’ will be their God! He will wipe away every tear from their eyes And eliminate death entirely. No one will mourn or weep any longer. The pain of wounds will no longer exist, For the old order has ceased.”
Rev. 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 (NIV)
Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city…”
I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star. The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life…
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, LORD Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
Come, thou long-expected Jesus, Born to set thy people free From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in Thee Israel’s strength & consolation HOPE OF ALL THE EARTH THOU ART, Dear desire of ev’ry nation Joy of ev’ry longing heart --Charles Wesley
Hello, Peace, Hello, Joy, Hello, Love Hello, Strength Hello, HOPE, it’s a new horizon --Maverick City Music
Something Good is About to Happen
Advent is the time of year where believers slow down, celebrate and anticipate Christ’s birth. But it is also a time to look forward, with great anticipation, to the Lord’s second coming. And we begin this advent by reflecting on hope.
I love watching my children experience the Christmas season. They have a built in hope radar. From the fall of the autumn’s first leaf, they know that something good is indeed coming. They live like goodness is right around the corner…because it is! It’s these seeds of waiting and expecting that feed into their joy of Christmas Day. (I am admittedly, a little bit “hallmark” around our place, so the signs are easy to spot. 😊)
In our reading from Greenhouse, the chapter on hope stuck with me the most. Faith is not possible without the fuel of hope first occurring. “Hope feels, it doesn’t see. It is the earnest expectation that something good is about to happen. Hope does not know what’s going to happen; it just knows that something good will.”*
Are you living a hope-filled life? Are you a something-good-is-coming kind of believer? If you’re not really feeling that, examine your heart. This is a good moment to ask Holy Spirit why and perhaps change something. Perhaps you’re disappointed from past experiences. It’s time for a recalibration! Be on the lookout for God’s signs in your everyday life. Become the kind of person who is looking for God to breakthrough in all your situations– even the impossible ones. This advent, may you experience a fresh surge of anticipation! Let Hope arise in your heart!
Reflect:
Before moving on with your day, pause and close your eyes. Ask yourself this question: What am I hoping for this season? Write them down and stir up hope within you to fuel your prayers! Get your hopes up!
Let’s pray together:
God, You are the Hope to a hopeless world! And we are Your light to the world! Give us eyes to see and ears to hear when You talk to us. Let us respond to what you are asking. May our response be quick, full of faith, believing that You are the God of impossible things. We lay down any doubt, disappointment and sin in our lives. We lay this all down at Your feet and pick up fresh hope in it’s place. We declare: The past is not the future. We look forward to this advent season; help us enjoy the present moments of this season, while also looking forward to our glorious future with you. Let Hope arise. Come Lord Jesus! And may the grace of the Lord rest on us. (Rev. 22:21) Amen.
*(Spiritual Intelligence, K. Vallotton, pg. 138)
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