Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I'd like to begin with a 2 part devotion about the Advent season. We just passed the first two advent seasonal themes of hope and peace, and that is where I'd like to start today. First, I extend an apology for missing so many days in writing. My health is been nagging me and I am trying to get back on track, with God's help of course!
Today, I want to bring a short message of hope and peace in this first part. Next, I will write about joy and love to finish out the advent messages.
With all that is happening throughout the world today, it is very difficult to reason with oneself to wonder why we don't have much hope and peace. The wars and rumors of wars taking place around the globe seem to escalate by the hour. There by begging the question where is peace? The recent elections may give a glimmer of some hope, but for how long?
You see, these things - hope and peace - in the worldly sense, are really temporary. They come and go as one election campaign after another offer promises of hope and change. Wars start and end with some sort of peace negotiation, but soon another battle heats up elsewhere.
But the child of God has a hope and a certain peace that the world will never know and understand. True hope and peace are from God the Father by giving us His son, Jesus the Christ. The One from eternity past, came from the riches of heaven, born of a virgin, lived as an example of God's perfect law to show us how to live in a fallen world. Then, suffered and died on a Roman cross to forgive us our sins, and resurrected from the dead to provide us hope for eternal life.
Christmas is more than just putting up a tree, hanging stockings or any of the things we do this time of year. It's about the birth of The Savior. The One and only One who came as God in human flesh to give His own life as a satisfactory substitute for our sins.
Christ did not come to bring peace on earth as many had hoped, but rather to bring a revelation of Himself and provide us with a certain hope and peace that dwells deep in the heart of a believer.
My friends, let us look towards this day forward, as we approach Christmas with that kind of hope and peace from our Lord. God's perfect Christmas gift has already been laid down - not at the base of a decorated tree, but at the foot of the cross decorated in His blood!
Look eagerly with hope and a great peace in your heart in knowing Christ came and died for you! Do not let that evaporate from your mind when all the fanfare of the Christmas season fades for another year. Love the whole year long be filled with hope and peace from our great God!
Love and blessings in Christ our Lord,
Tom
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