If you have been hit hard by a broken relationship, or laid low by a medical challenge, or unsure of your employment status, or bid farewell to a loved one passing away, or the integrity of your character has been questioned, or you’re just drained of the vibrancy of daily living and feel like you’re just going through the motions of another humdrum day, will you be considered a hopeful person?
Hope can be compared to a cup that sits in the center of your heart, or wherever the core of your being is. Positive happenings in your life tend to keep ‘filling’ the cup, while negative realities crack holes at the base of the cup. Your face is a pretty accurate reflection of the condition of this ‘hope cup’ deep inside you.
The story of nations and people reveal that throughout human antiquity, there were folk whose cups were steadily leaking, sometimes to the point of irreversible dryness, while on the other hand, there have been incredible journeys of hope, where cups brimmed over, at times against all odds. What made the difference? Hope.
Christmas is a season of the year to remind us, that amid all the chaos, callousness, and cold calculations in society, we can have hope for living. And as winter gives way to the beauties of springtime, each human being may journey towards a better day, thanks to the Light of Christmas, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Maybe during Christmas 2022, each time you see an advent light outside or inside homes, you could breathe a simple prayer: “Lord Jesus, thank you for coming and giving me hope.” Why not offer this prayer now?
As Phillip Brooks’ carol goes:
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light.
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
—
Jeba MosesPastor, Clifton Adventist Churchcincinnatiadventists.orgyoutube.com/cliftonsdachurchtvfacebook.com/cliftonadventistchurch
