Isaiah 40:31; John 16:33; 1 Peter 1:3
As you begin reading this devotional today, take a minute to ask yourself, “What am I hoping for?” Each one of us is regularly confronted with challenging situations that cause us to consider what we are hoping for in this world. Are you hoping for peace – in your life, in your family, in our country, in our war-torn world? Are you hoping for better circumstances, a good outcome, physical healing, daily life with less stress, or an answer to loneliness? What is the answer?
When Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem for the census, what were they hoping for? Maybe it was just a place to sleep when they arrived. Or were they aware that all they were hoping for in life was about to be born in the barn where they were staying?
Rather than asking, “What am I hoping for?” we should be asking, “What is the true source of all the HOPE I need?” The Answer... Jesus!
I was recently involved in disaster relief response with Samaritan’s Purse in Southern Brazil. Floods in the area had destroyed thousands of homes and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Families lost everything they had. It was truly amazing to watch the local churches mobilize to begin meeting the needs of the people who were impacted. Multiple relief stations were set up throughout the region to provide necessities for daily survival as the people began to dig out of this disaster. Water, food, clothes, shelter, and hygiene kits were just some of the basic needs provided. But the most important gift offered was HOPE. The consistent message was, “We are providing these relief items for you because we love Jesus, and we want you to know God sees you and loves you. Jesus is your lasting and sustaining HOPE.”
Immediate physical relief from any kind of life disaster is good. But it only brings a temporary feeling of HOPE. Lasting HOPE for both now and the rest of our lives has only one Source... Jesus. In celebrating the birth of Jesus 2000 years ago, we are celebrating HOPE that was born into our world then and continues to be our personal daily HOPE and ongoing HOPE for our world today.
Andy Martin
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