Every year at this time Christians around the world celebrate Advent. Advent comes from the Latin word adventus which means "coming." The Advent season is all about celebrating Christ's birth 2,000 years ago. Each Sunday leading up to Christmas, we'll explore a different aspect of Advent, and it's significance in our lives.
"This hope is an anchor for our souls" (Hebrews 6:19 NLT)
In the midst of all the preparation during Christmas, it's important we prepare our hearts as well. The first candle of Advent is the candle of hope. Do you feel hopeful today? When things look hopeless, where do you turn?
1 Peter 1:3 states, "It is by his great mercy that we have been born again because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation."
Notice the writer states that we now live with "great expectation." That's hope. As Christians, our faith is not in a system or a government leader. It is in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Our expectation is based on facts, not feelings.
We have hope because God raised Christ from the dead. That is why we can live with high expectation. We have eternal life! True faith is anchored in God's word.
"The hope is an anchor for our souls" (Hebrews 6:19)
An anchor provides stability. When life gets out of control, and we lose confidence, our anchor is Christ. He keeps us stable.
So as we draw closer to Christmas may we never lose sight of our hope. Our hope is in Christ alone!
