Today’s devotional is offered by Susan Crews

It’s here…Advent!
And we begin the season focusing on HOPE.

Truthfully, we hope for things all throughout the year. We hope to be successful. We hope to lose weight. We hope to be healthy. We hope our team wins the big game. We hope for friends. We hope for eternity.

Unfortunately, sometimes hope lacks certainty and can just feel like a wish. Wishing for something to happen with no way of knowing how it is going to turn out. And many times life is disappointing causing us to lose hope and replace it with discouragement, frustrations, and hopelessness.

When Jesus was born the Israelites were in a period of time when things seemed hopeless. Centuries earlier they were promised a king that would come and rescue them from their oppression. Being under the rule of the pagan Roman Empire living by many religious laws was tough and kept the Israelites oppressed.

Then this little baby was born in a manger and sent to earth to bring them hope. The baby came bringing an eternal hope. He brought hope that their sins would be forgiven. Hope that there were things far greater than the problems on earth.

The baby brought spiritual hope. Hope that is embedded in the faith of things not seen, but have been promised by God. And it is because of this hope we rejoice Jesus came to give us something far better than the disappointments of earthly life. We rejoice in the hope and promise of things God gives…the forgiveness of sin, His daily presence in our lives and the many good things he has promised.

May you find peace and joy in the hope Jesus brings today, tomorrow and always.