Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

     Yesterday was the first day of the season of Advent and Meridian Avenue observed it by lighting the Hope Candle on our Advent Wreath.  Advent is to be a period of preparation for the celebration of Christ’s birth and also for the second coming of Christ.

     When people speak they usually express hope in superficial ways.  We often hear statements such as ‘I hope it will rain’ or ‘I hope the weather will be good’. 

     So often we fail to recognize the importance of hope in our lives.  Having hope reduces feelings of helplessness and it increases our happiness.  Hopelessness, on the other hand, leads to despair and depression.

     To the believer in Christ, hope is the anchor of our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  Hope is our confident expectation of an eternal future with Him.  We are assured, in our faith, that our firm hope in God’s promises are always fulfilled.

     Faith and hope are a cord tightly woven.  Faith is a root, having taken hold in the past.  Hope is looking forward towards the future; an offshoot of the root of faith.  The two are inseparable.  It is impossible to have hope without having faith and without faith hope will never fully develop.

      As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior, also prepare to look forward with hope towards the second coming of our Savior.