Last Sunday, we lit the Advent candle of hope and, as we end this week’s meditations, I’d like to “ponder” on how faith and hope intersect.
In our daily lives, hope is uncertain. I hope for health and happiness, for myself and others. I hope my desires are not only met, but exceeded. I hope to win the lottery (a statistical impossibility, since I don’t participate). I hope tomorrow will be 75 and sunny! But the Bible speaks of hope in a very different way.
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”
(Hebrews 6:19).
Hope is more than a warm feeling or an optimistic wish. Biblical hope isn’t fragile—it is solid, anchored, and fiercely steady. The writer of Hebrews tells us that this hope is like an anchor for the soul. An anchor doesn’t remove or change the waves. It simply holds the boat steady when they come.
Hope doesn’t promise an easy life. It doesn’t deny that there are fears, disappointments, griefs, or waiting that stretches longer than we’d like. Yet hope declares: God keeps God’s promises. Always.
During Advent, hope looks to the manger and remembers that God not only came for us, but God also promised to come again for us. During Lent, hope looks to the cross and remembers that God died for us. The manger and the cross both affirm God’s love for us. On Easter, hope looks to the skies and trusts that God will come again for us.
As we close this week, “pondering” the theme of hope, we remember that Advent hope is active, vibrant, and joyful. Hope is choosing to believe in the character of God when our feelings are uncertain. Hope is living as though God’s light has already overcome the darkness, because it has. Hope is trusting God’s timing, God’s heart, and God’s faithfulness.
So, as the stress of Christmas draws closer and the waves seem a little higher, carry the anchor of hope with you. Remember that Christ holds you. Christ is our hope, our security, and our promise kept.
Prayer: Jesus, anchor my soul in you this Advent. When my circumstances shift, and I feel the waves around me, remind me of your unchanging love. When my heart grows weary, strengthen me with your promises. Shape me to hope not in what I see, but in who you are. Help me wait with confidence, courage, and expectation. You are faithful. You are near. You are my hope. Amen.
