At this time, each year, Christians around the world celebrate Advent. Advent comes from the Latin word adventus which means "coming." The Advent season is all about celebrating Christ's birth 2,000+ years ago. In the midst of all the preparation during Christmas, it's important that we prepare our hearts as well. The first candle of Advent is the candle of hope.
"This hope is an anchor for our souls." (Hebrews 6:19)
Do you feel hopeful today? When things look hopeless, where do you turn? 1 Peter 1:3 states, "It is by his great mercy that we have been born again because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation."
Notice the writer says that we now live with "great expectation." That's hope. As Christians, our faith is not in a system or a government leader. It is in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Our expectation is based on facts, not feelings. We have hope because God raised Christ from the dead. That is why we can live with high expectations. We have eternal life! True faith is anchored in God's word.
"The hope is an anchor for our souls."
An anchor provides stability. When life gets out of control, and we lose confidence, our anchor is Christ. He keeps us stable. So as we draw closer to Christmas may we never lose sight of our hope. Our hope is in Christ alone!
