Simply Soul Searching
HOW IS GOD LOVING ME – AND WHERE IS GOD LEADING ME?
ADVENT PEACE: FROM STUBBORN TO STEADFAST
PEACE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE IN OUR STANCE
Wednesday, December 7th
Stubborn: performed or carried on in an unyielding, obstinate, or persistent manner; difficult to handle, manage, or treat
Steadfast: firmly fixed in place; not subject to change; firm in belief, determination, or adherence; loyal
Keep alert; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.
(1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NRSVUE)
Our youth group used this Bible verse as our guiding theme during a mission trip years ago. We hoped to deepen in faith and trust, to stand firm and strong – in Christ and for Christ – as we served in love. I believe we all learned new ways to stand firm during that week of challenging work. I hope the people we served were able to see the strength of our faith, the strength of our Christ, that enabled the love of our hearts.
How do we best “stand firm in the faith”? How do we courageously live so that others may witness the strength of Christ in us? Today’s adjectives, stubborn and steadfast, both describe a firm stance, but their differences serve as a reminder for us in this week of Advent Peace.
When I become stubborn in my stance, I notice that I am inwardly focused, more concerned about my pride, my need to be right, my need to be justified. This is when my stance can become obstinate and difficult. When I remain steadfast, my stance is outwardly focused, concerned about serving God and others. This is when my stance can remain determined and loyal.
One can see this difference in the stances of faithful people today…
For some, standing firm in faith is having the courage to defend biblical law.
For others, standing firm in faith is having the courage to promote merciful grace.
Both of these are firm stances.
One is the stubborn stance of unyielding belief.
The other is the steadfast stance of unwavering love.
Our Advent Peace – the life of Jesus – shows us how to remain firmly steadfast in unwavering love. Jesus demonstrated his steadfast faith in God through his defiant silence, gentle corrections, confident rebuttals, buffering presence, gracious words, and righteous anger – through his actions birthed in love more than law. There were times when Jesus even broke sabbath law in order to love and care for others.
Advent Peace helps us let go of our need to be right, so that God can reveal what needs to be done.
We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.1
May the Advent Peace we have in Christ help us to stand firm and steadfast in our faith.
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6-7 NRSVUE)
1Madeleine L’Engle, Madeleine L’Engle Herself: Reflections on a Writing Life
Bible passages taken from https://www.biblegateway.com/
Definitions found at https://www.merriam-webster.com/
Photo by Karen
ADVENT PEACE: FROM BLAMING TO BLESSING
PEACE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE IN RESOLVING TROUBLE
Tuesday, December 6th
Blame: to find fault with; censure; to hold responsible; to place responsibility for
Bless: to hallow or consecrate by religious rite or word; to invoke divine care for; to speak well of; approve; to confer prosperity or happiness upon
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)
Yes, we will have trouble. Oh my, in his own life Jesus knew this very well.
And when problems arise, our Advent Peace comes through these words of Jesus, “Take heart! I have overcome the world.” We can trust the guidance of his words and life as we attempt to resolve the troubles of our world today…
Throughout the gospel stories, we read how Jesus was always working to make the better difference as often as possible. In his short life, he taught, led, corrected, healed, fed, or comforted most everyone he encountered. In his ultimate blessing, as he was suffering on the cross, Jesus didn’t yell, “I blame all of you for this!” but instead, quietly prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know…” (Luke 23:34). In doing so, Jesus brought about the best and greatest good for all of humanity.
As we confront problems, this Advent Peace guides us to ask the question,
“What will bring about the greater good – fault finding or difference making?”
With each challenging issue we encounter, we may be tempted to find a culprit to blame. Certainly, we need to discern the source of the problem, but if we stop there, the problem will never be fixed. And many troubles have more than one source, along with an abundance of complex solutions. Placing blame becomes our easiest response; we then assign the burden of responsibility to someone else.
The Advent Peace from Jesus turns our intention toward blessing more than blaming. When we follow the example of Jesus, we stop pointing and begin taking responsibility for one another. We stop blaming and begin serving in the ways we can. We stop naming the problem and begin resolving it.
John Wesley, one of the founders of Methodism, has succinctly instructed: “Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God.” His words are wise. When life goes wrong, we may wish to blame others, ourselves, or even God. When we do, we are being harmful – and we certainly are doing no good. To stay in love with God, we also stay in love with others, as well as ourselves.
God created this world for us all. We share this global community; we are responsible for one another. When we encounter trouble, Advent Peace gives us the answer when we ask,
“What will bring about the greater good – fault finding or difference making?”
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. (Hebrews 6:10 NIV)
Definitions found at https://www.merriam-webster.com/
Bible passages taken from https://www.biblegateway.com/
Photo by Karen
ADVENT PEACE: FROM MASTERY TO MYSTERY
PEACE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE IN OUR UNDERSTANDING
Monday, December 5th
Mastery: skill or knowledge that makes one master of a subject
Mystery: something not understood or beyond understanding; profound, inexplicable, or secretive quality or character; a religious truth that one can know only by revelation and cannot fully understand
“When I get to heaven, I am going to ask God about this…”
“I wish I could make sense of this…”
“I find it difficult to believe God loves us when God allows this to happen…”
This earthly life raises so many questions about God, doesn’t it? Do you ever wish you could resolve what seems senseless or confusing in life, understand God’s ways (and whys), or find definitive answers for your questions and doubts? I know I do…
One of my resolutions this year was to learn more about the Bible. Through podcasts and books, I have learned more about the historical and cultural settings, the purposes of biblical writers, the symbolisms in stories. The insights of experts have increased my understanding and deepened my appreciation of the Bible and its purpose. I am grateful for all I have learned.
But any increased mastery of the Bible will never fully uncover the mystery of God.
Oh, there are some essential truths we can know about God. Through Jesus, we know that God is infinite love, that God is always leading us to wholeness and goodness, and that God brings resurrection and new life in every loss. Through the Spirit, we can receive God’s guidance and insight.
Jesus and the Spirit reveal the essence of God, while respecting and retaining the mystery of God.
As I reflect today, I wonder if my wish to understand everything about God and life stems from an inner desire to manage my days with reason and logic, as if I could then somehow direct and protect my life. But given the choice – my human mastery or God’s divine mystery – to be in charge of my earthly and eternal life, I would certainly and always choose God. If I could persuade or suggest or reason with or question God with my limited human understanding, well, I would have my doubts about God!
And this holy mystery brings us the gift of Advent Peace.
Our Advent Peace is found in the mystery of God and our own unknowing, giving us rich depths of faith, trust, and reverence. This Peace fills us with awe and wonder and brings a deeper meaning to all of life. We can sense that life is much more than what meets the eye, that there is some unfathomable sacred mystery beyond this everyday experience. This Peace comes in the awareness that we cannot fully know God, but God fully knows us (even better than we can know ourselves).
This Advent Peace comes when we stop wishing to understand God and begin knowing to trust God – the One who created us, who cares for us with goodness and mercy, who knows our every need. Advent Peace is ours because Infinite Love is holding and helping us along our life’s journey, all the way into eternity.
Praise the Lord!
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
Great is our Lord and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;
he casts the wicked to the ground.
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on the lyre.
He covers the heavens with clouds,
prepares rain for the earth,
makes grass grow on the hills.
He gives to the animals their food
and to the young ravens when they cry.
His delight is not in the strength of the horse
nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner,
but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.
(Psalm 147:1-11 NRSVUE)
Bible passage found at https://www.biblegateway.com/
Definitions are from https://www.merriam-webster.com
Photo by Karen
PEACE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
WHAT IS PEACE?
Sunday, December 4th
(Each day this week, we will be focusing on the difference Peace makes in our lives.)
If you have an Advent wreath, you may wish to light the first candle as the candle of HOPE, and the second candle as the candle of PEACE.
We begin this week of Peace with a few definitions from the Merriam-Webster online dictionary.
The definition of PEACE includes:
~ freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions
This aspect of peace relates to our peace of mind. I can generally find this peace each night before bedtime, when I simply thank God for the day and all that it held. I gratefully release the day’s blessings and challenges, placing my worries and thoughts into God’s care. My prayerful practice serves as a closing benediction, and I sense God’s peace covering me for the night.
~ a state of tranquility or quiet
In this description I think of the peace for our bodies and souls. This peace envelops me when I relax in the recliner and lift my feet after a busy afternoon. Peace brings rest and restoration to my body and soul when I sit quietly on our porch and take in the beauty of God’s creation. Peace comes as respite from the day when I sip hot tea and read a good book. I feel a harboring peace when Jim and I pray in the early morning hours before going on with our day.
~ harmony in personal relations
This definition of peace refers to our peace with and among others. I notice this peace in my relationships when I am able to listen well, open myself to deeper understanding, forgive any hurts, honestly confess my shortcomings, or vulnerably share my love. Peace comes when I set aside such tendencies as vying for attention, pointing out grievances, or controlling a conversation. Relationships can bring great peace when they are based on mutual friendship, encouragement, and respect.
Advent Peace is a gift for our minds, our bodies, our souls, our relationships – for every aspect of our being! As we continue Mary’s story, we see how God in Christ has come to give us that Advent Peace.
~~~~~
The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:35-38 NRSVUE)
As we move from our week of Advent Hope into Advent Peace, I first notice this difference: we cling to Hope, but we let go for Peace! We observe Mary letting go as she receives more details about her pregnancy and the holy child she will carry. Mary responds, “Here am I… a servant… let it be…” She gives herself to God, surrenders her plans, recognizes her servanthood, and fully accepts God’s word for her life.
We can sense how Mary’s Advent Peace would be found in the angel’s promise that “nothing will be impossible with God.” Advent Peace enters Mary’s mind, soul, and body through the Holy Spirit coming upon her, the power of God overshadowing her. Advent Peace also comes to Mary in relationship – as she learns of Elizabeth’s companionship in their shared pregnancies.
Mary can let go – because she is being held! In this, she finds her peace.
And so can we.
Mary’s story is yet another story for all of us.
Our Advent Peace will also come to us each time we can let go of our worries and fears and entrust them to God… when we can surrender ourselves and our plans into God’s better plans and purposes… when we can release our need for control and trust that God in Christ is always with us, God’s power is overshadowing us, and through our caring relationships, God will help us.
With every surrender, every release, we give God the opportunity to fill us with all the grace and goodness of God’s Peace.
Advent Peace makes the better difference in the living of our days.
Photo by Laura Nyhuis on Unsplash
Bible verses taken from https://www.biblegateway.com/
Definitions found at https://www.merriam-webster.com/
ADVENT HOPE: FROM FEARING TO FINDING
HOPE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE IN OUR OUTLOOK
Friday, December 2nd
Fear: to be afraid of; expect with alarm; to have a reverential awe of
Find: to come upon often accidentally, encounter; to come upon by searching or effort; to attain, reach; to discover by the intellect or the feelings; experience; to bring oneself to a realization of one’s powers…
On this particular day, the shower stall had become my private confessional booth. Behind the curtain and under the cleansing waters, I quietly confessed to God that I was afraid. Cancer had intruded my body – but also my every thought. Most of the time I could sense God’s peace, but not this time; I worried and prayed aloud about my treatments as well as my outcome. Fear seemed to be winning the day…
I dressed and went to the kitchen to look through the dinner basket our friends Becky and Doy had brought for us. Their kindness truly helped us in our time of illness. As I eagerly pulled out the delicious items, I was surprised to also find a bracelet Becky had made for me. The bracelet displayed one word.
Fearless.
Through the timing of my honest prayer and Becky’s gift, God was able to surprise and assure me that I was not alone, and I did not need to fear. My outlook became brighter and more hopeful.
In our times of fear, Advent Hope comes to surround us.
Our Advent Hope is the awareness that God is always, always working, moving, awakening, guiding, encouraging, revealing. The word find has many definitions, and we can find God’s presence in all these ways. I have found God surprising me through unexpected encounters, and I have found God through active searching. But when I am mindful – when I am prayerfully watching and seeking – I open myself to notice more of the ways God is already actively moving. I begin to find holy connections in what would normally be regarded as ordinary coincidences.
God is here. God is moving. We only need to pay attention.
Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. (Matthew 7:7, NRSVUE)
Advent Hope increases each time we seek and find God in our times of fear. I love that the definition of fear also includes reverential awe. We can replace our fear with the better fear – the awe of God’s incredible goodness and love. I treasure this passage from the prophet Isaiah:
For I, the Lord your God,
hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Do not fear,
I will help you.”
Isaiah 41:13 (NRSVUE)
May Advent Hope open our hearts to find God already with us, encouraging us and easing our fears. May Advent Hope uplift and encourage our outlook upon all the days ahead. God has promised to hold and help us.
We only need to reach out our hands.
(There will not be a reflection tomorrow – Saturday. We will begin the week of Advent Peace on Sunday.)
Definitions found at https://www.merriam-webster.com/
Bibles verses taken from https://www.biblegateway.com
Photo by Karen
ADVENT HOPE: FROM MOURNING TO MORNING
HOPE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE IN OUR GRIEF
Thursday, December 1st
Mourning: the act of sorrowing
Morning: dawn; the time from sunrise to noon; a period of first development; beginning
This year, several of our friends will be spending their first holidays without a loved one. Many of us will continue to miss someone special every year. Our grief would be even more unbearable without the hope of an eternal reunion one day! This is another gift of our Advent Hope: through the words and resurrection of Jesus, God promises that we will one day live together in love and joy for all of eternity.
In the days before his death, Jesus tells his disciples,
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:1-3 NRSVUE)
Our mourning will one day turn into morning, the dawning of a new day, a new beginning!
But while we wait in hope for that glorious time, what else might we do to honor our loved ones and ease our grief?
We look to the Advent Hope we find in the way we have experienced Jesus.
~ We are able to know and love Jesus today because his stories have been shared with us, and especially because his spirit remains with us.
We can do the same with the dear ones we are missing. We can recognize and pass along their gifts and stories that remain with us. How did these loved ones forever change our hearts? What lessons did they teach us, what insights did they give us? What are our favorite memories, our tales to recall and reshare? How do we feel their presence with us today? We can cherish and hold their eternal presence with fond gratitude.
~ We can remember, honor, and exemplify Jesus today through our lives of loving service.
And we can do the same for our beloved saints. Today can be a new morning, a new beginning, as we choose to embrace the endearing qualities of our loved ones, carry their spirit with us, and live each day fully and gratefully. In our love for Jesus, we try to live as he would have us live; how would our loved ones want us to live? How might we continue their goodness through our own loving service? Which of their qualities do we want to embrace and emulate? The lives of our loved ones are now eternally new, and we can honor them by living ours in their light.
There will always be a resurrection. There will always be the dawning of a new day. The Advent Hope given to us through Jesus – gifts of eternal presence and fresh beginnings – can gently transform our grief from mourning into morning.
Definitions found at https://www.merriam-webster.com/
Bible verses taken from https://www.biblegateway.com/
Photo by Karen
ADVENT HOPE: FROM MERIT TO MERCY
HOPE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE IN OUR SELF-REGARD
Wednesday, November 30th
Merit: to be worthy of or entitled or liable to; earn; deserve
Mercy: lenient or compassionate treatment; a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion
As people of faith, we are called to regard ourselves with humility. Jesus exemplified humility, and the Bible includes several passages encouraging us to do the same. For example, we read about humility in Romans 12:3: For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
Oh, this challenge of “sober judgment”! I know I am not perfect. I just hate to be reminded. 😉
But the good news of our Advent Hope today is found in God’s tender, loving, generous mercy, a mercy beyond our human capacity. In Christ, we now understand how God’s love for us came first – before we could even attempt to merit it.
…God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:4-9 NRSVUE)
I want my life to be worthy of God’s love and abundant blessings. I feel an inner joy when I try to live obediently, when I hope to please God by living and serving well. My gratitude toward God seems to foster my desire to merit God’s goodness.
But when I feel broken, lacking, and unlovable, I feel God ever drawing me closer. My love for God deepens in gratitude through my unworthiness, in humility through my guilt, in tenderness through my regret, and in trust through my need. I can bring my sorry self to rest in God’s unwavering love, a love that understands, corrects, forgives, uplifts, and guides me into new life.
Advent Hope can make the difference in our self-regard. The Hope revealed to us in Christ – the gracious, initiating love of God – can replace our need to merit with our trust in God’s mercy.
We are to regard ourselves as humble – but also as dearly loved.
The Advent Hope that transforms merit into mercy not only changes the way we regard ourselves, but also the way we regard and treat one another. God’s initiating love has come for every one of us; we are invited to initiate love, too. We are all part of God’s beautiful creation, made in love but also for love. And so, this Ephesians passage then closes with these words:
For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we may walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10 NRSVUE)
Amen. May it be so this Advent season.
Bible passages found at: https://www.biblegateway.com/
Definitions from https://www.merriam-webster.com/
Photo by Karen
ADVENT HOPE: FROM DREADING TO DREAMING
HOPE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE IN OUR ANTICIPATION
Tuesday, November 29th
Dread: to fear greatly, to feel extreme reluctance to meet or face
Dream: to have a dream of (a desired goal or purpose); to consider a possibility, imagine
During my time with cancer, each additional chemotherapy infusion became more difficult as the side effects worsened and my appetite, stamina, and immunity waned. My veins became rubbery, so the nurses were increasingly challenged to find a good vein for the infusion. Each week, I became worried about my worsening side effects and doubtful that my veins would cooperate.
I began to dread each next infusion.
But one day, the thought came to me that each infusion would mean I had one less remaining. I then named my new countdown, “One Day Closer to Better!” as I began dreaming of the day when I would have no more infusions. I envisioned a future when I would feel healthy and strong again, when I would regain my appetite and stamina as well as my enjoyment of life. With the better end in mind, I could persevere. My dreaming helped to counteract my dreading.
This sense of dread can come over us each time we feel anxious about our future. When we become concerned by distressing global or national news, threats of potential difficulties, or challenging personal trials, any of these worrisome issues can contribute to a feeling of dread. We then begin to anticipate the future with fear and reluctance.
Advent Hope can make the difference in our anticipation; the Hope we have in Christ can turn our dreading into dreaming.
Our Advent Hope arises because, in Jesus, we have seen how God always works to bring about resurrection: the new life, the happy ending, and one day, the ideal vision and purpose for all humanity.
Advent Hope not only helps us to envision God’s beautiful purposes, but also inspires us to participate in these purposes. We can dream of a better world and a better day, then place our focus and energy toward these ideal dreams instead of our reasons for dread. Our dread will dissipate with every small step we take toward our dream.
We can anticipate our future with the Advent Hope given to us through this promise of new life and resurrection, the Hope that replaces our dread with God’s dream. Advent Hope can then inspire us to pursue and contribute to God’s good and sacred purposes, as our dreading turns into dreaming.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 NRSVUE)
Definitions are from https://www.merriam-webster.com/
Bible verse found at https://www.biblegateway.com/
Photo by Karen
ADVENT HOPE: FROM LANGUISHING TO LINGERING
HOPE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE IN OUR WAITING
Monday, November 28th
Languishing: to be or live in a state of depression or decreasing vitality; to become dispirited
Lingering: to be slow in parting or quitting something; to move slowly
Advent can be a festive season of waiting with happy expectation for our Christmas celebrations! We enjoy lingering in the tender moments of preparation, as we lovingly prepare our homes or make travel arrangements to gather with loved ones, plan worship celebrations and holiday parties, and anticipate blessing others with gifts of hospitality and generosity.
But Advent can also be a season of waiting with pain, sorrow, or worry. We find ourselves languishing in long and dreary days as we wait for a better outcome, yearn for a moment of comfort, search for a relief from struggle. As we endure these trying times, the usual joys of Advent waiting are set aside.
How might Advent Hope make the difference in our waiting?
The hope we have in Christ can move us from languishing into lingering.
Oh, we might still lament, grieve, rant, anguish. God does not expect us to put on a brave face, pretend all is well, or smile away our sadness. But we are invited to linger in the Advent Hope that was revealed long ago with the birth of Jesus: God in Christ has come to us and remains with us. This Advent Hope is here to comfort us, heal us, and help us. This Advent Hope is hearing our prayers, sustaining our souls, carrying us forward to better days.
The gift of Advent Hope is here for us now; God in Christ still lingers among us. And we can linger with God – in prayer, in silence, in worship, in song. We can linger by lighting a candle, reading a passage, writing our thoughts. We can linger with the hope of Christ tucked in our hearts as we face the day and all that it may bring.
When we are languishing in life, we can linger in Love.
While we wait for Christmas, we can wait with the Advent Hope given to us through the promised presence of Christ, the Hope that will transform our languishing into lingering.
Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and shield.
Our heart is glad in him
because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.
(Psalm 33:20-22 NRSVUE)
Definitions found at https://www.merriam-webster.com/
Bible passage found at https://www.biblegateway.com/
Photo by Karen
I was also inspired by the article, https://healthyspirituality.org/languishing-and-lingering-lessons for this post.
HOPE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
WHAT IS HOPE?
Sunday, November 27th
(This is the first meditation of Advent: The Difference Between…
Each day this week, we will be focusing on the difference Hope makes in our lives.)
If you have an Advent wreath, you may wish to light the first candle as the candle of HOPE.
We will be including many definitions in our daily reflections this Advent season! As we begin this week of hope, we find that the Merriam Webster online dictionary gives us several definitions of hope to contemplate. These definitions illustrate three different aspects of hope on which we can build our own increasing hope:
The definition of HOPE includes:
~ something desired or hoped for
This is where our hope begins, as our desire for a certain outcome. We are longing for a brighter day, a new beginning, a dream realized, an answer to prayer. Longing is our initial hope.
~ desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment
Our hope then deepens through faith. Our desire, our longing, is buoyed by our understanding that we are beloved, by our expectation that good will come – and by our trust that prayers are fulfilled in God’s good way and time. Expectation is our faithful hope.
~ someone or something on which hopes are centered
Finally, our hope ultimately rests in Christ, in whom we center our hope, and from whom we have received our hope in the first place! God in Christ is both our source and our center of all hope. God in Christ is our confident hope.
~~~~~~~~~~
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:26-28 NRSVUE)
This story is a story for all of us.
The angel is about to tell Mary some incredible, unbelievable news – that she would become the mother of God’s son, Jesus. We can imagine that this news would be both exciting and terrifying for Mary! Perhaps this is the reason the angel prefaces his announcement with “The Lord is with you.” Mary would first need to know that God would be with her in all that was to come, through everything she would face. For every uncertainty, she could be certain of God’s loving, unwavering presence. Mary could place her hope in the certainty of God.
And we can, too.
The Lord is with you. God is with us in all things. We are never alone, never abandoned. In Christ, God has lived our lives, shared our heartaches, faced our fears. God grieves with us, hurts for us, and understands us. And God promises us a brighter day, a happier ending, a new life, and always, a glorious resurrection.
We can place our hope in God with faithful certainty – and find our serenity.
Advent Hope makes the better difference in the living of our days.
Definitions found at https://www.merriam-webster.com/
Bible passage found at https://www.biblegateway.com/
Thanks to Kelly Sikkema for her photo: http://Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Simply Soul Searching 