Many of my hopes from January didn’t come to fruition this year. Like many, I faced moments of deep disappointment, unexpected stress, and obstacles in areas where I wanted to see improvement. More than once, I caught myself thinking, “Maybe I just shouldn’t get my hopes up.” It’s much easier to protect ourselves from potential disappointment if our hopes aren’t very high in the first place! But I have realized that “not getting my hopes up” might be the opposite of what God calls us to. In Micah 7:7, after Israel’s misery is described in detail, we read:
“But as for me, I watch in HOPE for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”
Even in difficulty, Micah wrote about the source of HOPE we can hold onto – waiting for God, assured that He will hear us.
Reflecting on this, I think about God’s people in the Christmas story, waiting for a political leader who would save them from Roman rule. Like us, they hoped for a solution to their immediate problems. Yet God saw humanity’s greater need – salvation from sin – and provided a solution greater than what they could HOPE for or fully comprehend. When we set our hopes on earthly solutions, we often find ourselves disappointed. But when we place our hopes in God’s plans, we start to see and understand the many ways that He is at work.
All my own hopes for this year may not have worked out, but in looking back, I see how God provided in even bigger ways. I feel better connected to my community, and I’m deeply grateful for the many people He has placed in my life to walk through challenging times with me. I pray this Christmas season, as we HOPE and dream about the year ahead, that our hopes are placed in God alone and that we believe and expect that He can and will move in powerful ways – even if they aren’t what we expect!
Emily Lenhardt
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