The Gift of Hope

You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:12c-13a NLT

Day Two, counting down the Advent. Celebrating hope this first week. Is there anything more fun than children when coming into the Christmas season? Oh, they are so excited and have such great expectations! The anticipation of all the possibilities of things that could happen... 

One of my granddaughters is autistic and no matter how old she gets, from Thanksgiving on she will unabashedly ask, "Granna, what are you going to give me for Christmas?" just like she has every year since she could talk. Her expectation is that she will get a present from me; her hope is that it will be something she likes. LOL Her absolute delight would be keys of any kind...

I think she is much like how Christ meant for us to be when He said we should be like children - wanting to be with Him, full of expectation, trusting Him to care and provide, delighting that He has given us the keys to His kingdom.

For so long, we lived without God and without hope...  Proverbs 13:12 NLT tells us, Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. Living without hope can be so devastating, but praise God, He sent His Son into the world so that we could have the hope of glory! It is a glorious thing, hope. 

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for giving us Jesus and with Him, the gift of hope! Help us to be ever mindful of the price that was paid for our salvation and the redemption of our souls. Help us to walk humbly before You, God, and to be always grateful for all You have provided. Cause our hearts to be moved with compassion for others and to be generous givers in all we lay our hands to do. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen