Read Hebrews 6:16-20
I hope it rains tomorrow. I hope I get an A on my test. I hope I don’t gain weight over the holidays. I hope I get a good job with great pay. I hope someone gives me 10 million dollars.
Hope. I used to think hope was just wishful thinking—nothing special or helpful or particularly spiritual. Until I lost all hope.
In February of 2013, while I was going through a bad bout of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), my mom called from Nigeria to say my brother-in-law was very sick and in the hospital. For three agonizing days, I tried to support my aging parents from afar. I tried to give advice, allay fears, and be strong when I was a mess myself. But Philip died and two days later, I felt myself sinking …
Into a dark pit. There the lack of hope was palpable. The darkness felt impenetrable, and I was drowning. I had two friends in Canada who supported me and held me up with prayer, Scripture, and encouragement. One even said she would hope for me. That’s when I discovered the importance of true hope. Without hope, it’s hard to put one foot in front of the other. To be without hope is to be adrift and unmoored. Hopeless people are in desperate straits.
Our passage tells of the God of hope who is also almighty and above all. No one is like Him and so when He guarantees something, He can only swear by Himself for there is none greater. In this God, we can find hope. Like an anchor keeps a boat secure and safe during raging storms, so our God keeps us safe when we fasten ourselves to Him.
The Message translation says, We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline …
During this Advent time, may we rejoice in the message and the promise of hope that the coming of the Christ Child brings. May we hold on and never let go.
For Reflection:
- When have you felt the absence of hope most keenly? Where did you see God during that time?
- In what ways can you be a help and comfort for someone who feels hopeless? How can you throw a lifeline?
by Katherine Riebe
