New Hope | Romans 15:13
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Our hope is not just pie in the sky; it’s as sure as it can be!
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“May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
Christmas, as much as any other holiday of the year, is about a new hope. One baby, God incarnate, the hope of all mankind, reminds us that with all the changes we encounter in this life, what we see now, is not all there is.
With all the memories we make with family and friends during this season, we anticipate new experiences and hope for more good times to come. That has certainly been the case with my family, but this was the first in 44 years my mother-in-law hasn’t been an intricate part of our Christmas holiday. On October 30, she passed away and yesterday spent her first Christmas in heaven. She was a very good mom and grandma, loving her family well. I’ve taken care of her for the past 13 years. And we will miss her.
There are many families with an empty chair this year. Whether a sudden death or one you’re expecting, it’s still surreal. Last year, your loved one was there, and this year, they’re not.
My journey has taught me an important fact regarding the hope we celebrate on Christmas Day. It’s real! It isn’t just wishful thinking. Thanks to Jack Graham, I have a new definition of the “blessed hope” we have in Jesus. Our hope is an eager expectation based on a sure and imminent promise! Our hope is not just pie in the sky; it’s as sure as it can be!
As surely as that “blessed hope” came the first time as a baby in a manger, he is coming again to claim his own. That’s me! If you are trusting in Jesus alone to save you, that’s you too! So, we have a double reason to celebrate hope! We hope today because he came! And we hope tomorrow because he’s coming again! Hallelujah!
As we hope, God’s grace “instructs us to renounce ungodliness
and worldly passions, and to live sensible,
upright, and godly lives in the present age,
as we await the blessed hope and glorious
appearance of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ”
-Titus 2:12-13
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By Eva Maxwell
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