December 1, 2022

Taylor Abaroa
"For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)"
Romans 8:22-25

This time of year comes with so many things that we look forward to with hope and anticipation. The decorations, the Christmas traditions, family time, gifts, reuniting with loved ones, the sweets and treats. It’s easy to let the festivities consume our search for true hope.

When we hope, we feel the expectation and desire for something. We also trust that what is suppose to be coming is indeed coming. While many of the things that bring us great anticipation and hope this time of year are good things, none of them compare to the hope found in longing/anticipation for the day we see Jesus face-to-face. The song “O Holy Night,” speaks of this anticipation as the lyrics say “a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.”

Whether your days are filled with thrills of hope or weariness, may you “continue to look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.”