Advent Devotional - Day 7: by Russ Hauck

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

On the Advent wreath, the first candle is traditionally the candle of Expectation or Hope. An ancient Roman saying is “While there is life, there is hope!” And there is that old saying “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” Most recently, the idea of hope has been at the center of the presidential political campaigns. We hope for many things, big and small, important and trivial, serious and silly. We hope for the best, store away things in “hope chests,” and cross our hearts and “hope to die.”

Hope also keeps us afloat. It’s like a life preserver hanging from a rickety old boat. We can’t help ourselves. God created us to be hopeful people and Paul’s benediction in this passage reminds us of that, not only because he prays that we will abound in hope, but also because he reminds us that we have been created in the image of God – the God of hope.

Advent gives us a reminder of the source of that hope that lies at the core of our being. Our hope – the hope of all Christians – is a “joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation.” So, this isn’t a wishful hoping for the best. Even as we prepare for the birth, we can be hope-filled and confident because we know what lies ahead – we know how the story will end. We know that Christ is born, Christ is risen, and Christ indeed will come again!

Lord, in this Advent season, send your Holy Spirit so that we might be filled with peace and joy and confidence as we prepare for the coming King. Amen