Humble Hope by Dr. Lisa Burkhardt Worley
Jesus came into this world humbly, and he left humbly. He allowed himself to be born in a livestock feeding trough, and he departed this world after being crucified on a cross. But through his humble existence on this Earth and through his teachings, he gave us something that we cannot quantify—hope.
Hope is a gift from God. We often take it for granted, but what if we did not have hope? What if we could not even use the word in conversation? I hope you feel better. I hope you get that job. I hope your situation improves. Where would we be? Because of hope, there is always the possibility of a better day.
The ones who struggle are the ones who have lost hope. That’s why you hear of successful people giving up, falling into drug abuse, and losing it all. Novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky once said, “To live without hope is to cease to live.”
Are you living with hope? What are your hopes this Christmas?
The Bible calls God the “God of hope” (Romans 15:13). Romans 12:12 says we are to “rejoice in hope.” Isaiah 40:31 promises that when we hope in the LORD we will “renew our strength.” We will soar on wings like eagles; we will run and not grow weary, we will walk and not be faint. How many hope for an extra dose of energy this Christmas? It is available. As I write this, I am already feeling better because God provides when we are depleted.
And through belief in Jesus, God gives us hope for a life beyond this one. Romans 8:24-25 says, “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” While we don’t see, we believe. We wait for eternity with humble hope, as there is nothing we’ve done to deserve this promise.
If you have lost hope this Christmas, look up to the source of hope. Jesus came into this world as a bearer of hope, and he has plenty to go around.
Prayer: Lord, the holidays can be difficult at times, but we thank you for the gift of hope. Today, we pray to feel hopeful and call forth hope in Jesus’ name. We thank you that hope abounds when we believe in you. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.
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