Merriam-Webster defines hope as “desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment.” This time of year, hope fills the air as children craft Christmas wish lists, friends and families plan gatherings to connect and celebrate, and the looming new year offers a fresh start and new opportunities to see desires and expectations fulfilled.
But, what if the item on the top of your wish list isn’t under the tree? Or, your gathering isn’t as perfect as you planned? Or, the new year just ushers in more of the same?
Sometimes life can cut off our hope and it’s tempting to grow discouraged when the things we long for remain unfulfilled.
Across the timeline from Genesis to Matthew, the people of God knew this temptation well. They had been promised a Savior. A King. But, generation after generation came and went without seeing this hope fulfilled. I’m sure their hearts felt tinges of hopelessness. Yet, this promise remained:
“But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” ~ Isaiah 9:1a, 2, 6-7
Finally, with the humble birth of a baby in Bethlehem, God fulfilled thousands of years-worth of prophesy by providing the long-awaited Savior to a sin-soaked humanity. As promised back in Genesis 3 at the Fall, the offspring that would crush the head of our enemy Satan had arrived. The child Isaiah foretold was here.
It took thousands of years and He didn’t arrive with the pomp and circumstance one would expect for a King. But, that’s usually how God works. Rarely according to our timeline and seldom in the manner we expect. Nonetheless, God is a promise keeper. Always has been. Always will be.
As we celebrate the fulfillment of one of God’s great promises this Christmas, we can rest assured that our hope in both His future and present promises is never in vain.
So, here’s a little hope for the future…Jesus is right now preparing a place for those who believe and as certain as He came before, He will come again (John 14:1-3). But this time it won’t be as a meek and mild baby. Far from it. He’ll return with all the glory and splendor of the Faithful and True King that He is (Revelation 19:11-16).
And a little hope for right now…the God who proved himself Immanuel, God with us, by taking on human flesh remains with us through the power of His Spirit as He works out His purposes in our lives for good, as only He can (Matthew 1:23, John 16:7, Romans 8:28).
I’ll leave you with a quote from Lysa TerKeurst’s book, It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way, regarding a lesson she’s learned about hope from wrestling with deep disappointments in her life. “My hope isn’t tied to my expectations finally being met in my way and in my timing. No. My hope isn’t tied to whether or not a circumstance or another person changes. My hope is tied to the unchanging promise of God.”
When we get our hearts to this place, we assure ourselves of a hope that nothing in this world can ever cut off.
“Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” Proverbs 23:18
