This week begins the 2010 Advent season. Advent means 'coming' and is a time that believers in Christ prepare their hearts for the yearly celebration of His birth on December 25. We pray that you will have a thoughtful and enriching Advent season, setting your heart on things above. Fresh Starts will focus on a different Advent theme each week until Christmas. For a more thorough explanation of Advent, please take time to read this.*
In today’s casual use of language, the word hope has become a common verb. “I hope that chicken is still on sale” or “I hope my husband remembers our anniversary this year!” Rarely do we hear one use it in regards to the actual definition of a desire for good accompanied by expectation.
The word ‘hope’ was first used in the Bible in Ruth 1:12. Naomi was disheartened by the state of her life. Her husband was dead, her sons were dead, she was in a foreign land with no one but her daughters-in-law, and they were not even of her nationality. As she prepared to travel home to Bethlehem, Naomi said to her dead sons’ wives, “…Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me!”
Naomi had no hope for a future of little more than begging and loneliness. There was surely a desire for good in her life, but she had zero expectation of that good. In her mind, her situation was beyond help. In spite of Naomi’s urging, daughter-in-law Ruth chose to stay with her and travel to Bethlehem. Although she herself was certainly unsure of what to expect, Ruth made a vow to stay with Naomi and to follow the Lord. (Ruth 1: 16,17) Upon arrival in Bethlehem, Ruth (after an incredibly romantic “should be made into a PBS special” courtship) ended up marrying Boaz, a man who stepped up to the plate and redeemed his distant family members from a life of poverty and hopelessness.
But did Naomi herself ever find hope or did she remain the tag-along mother-in-law? Oh no! Naomi ended up with more hope that she ever could have imagined. She ended up nursing the very child that would start the chain of events leading to the coming of Jesus. (Ruth 4:14-17) Ruth and Boaz had a baby boy. This little guy’s name was Obed and he later became the father of Jesse, who in turn became the father of King David. And who is in the lineage of David?
*
Our True and Perfect Hope – Jesus Christ.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for hope. Thank You that in spite of what my circumstances look like, You are always there moving and preparing things for my good. Help me to press into the Hope I have in You. Amen.
Challenge:
As you celebrate Advent this week, either with your family or in your own personal quiet time, look up Scripture verses on hope and meditate on them. In what or whom are you placing your hope? Or maybe, you are not hoping at all – but wishing. A good way to determine is to put your ‘hopes’ to the test. Does your way of hoping bring a joy and expectation of waiting on the Lord and His goodness? Or does it bring worry and anxiety and restlessness?
Advent – Week One:
Theme: Prophecy (Hope)
Scriptures: Sun. Is. 40:1-5, Mon. Is. 52:7-10, Tue. Is. 40:9-11, Wed. Gen. 3:8-15, Thu. Gen. 15:1-6, Fri. Deut. 18:15-19, Sat. Ps. 89:1-4 (You can limit your readings to one day if you that works better for your family.)
Advent Resources:
The ADVENTure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel
Free Jesse Tree Advent Devotional by Ann Voskamp and Nancy Rodden
* This link gives a good history and explanation of Advent. Inclusion of this link does not necessarily mean an endorsement of all content on that website.
No comments:
Post a Comment