12/05/2024
Read: Hebrews 10:23 - “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
Reflect: Our predecessors in church history thought very highly of the power of a confession. When we think of a confession today, we think of confessing sin. But this was something more. A confession was a declaration of your faith and belief, and there have been many strong confessions in history that have influenced our churches today. And yet for the most part, we no longer give much thought to adhering to a confession. The author of Hebrews here is imploring us to hold fast -- hold on with all your strength -- to the confession of our hope in the Lord Jesus, the Faithful One. We must openly confess together for the world to hear, that we have put all our hope and trust in what Jesus has done, and what He will do. And no matter how the world reacts, or how the enemy responds, or how much our flesh wrestles against us, we must hold on to that confession without wavering. Because when we confess Jesus, He will confess us! He will be faithful to accomplish our salvation.
Respond: Go to the Lord in prayer and openly confess your hope in His salvation -- Jesus. Then examine your heart: how firm of a grip do you have on your confession? Is there anything in your life that has caused you to waver? Give those things to the Lord in prayer. And thank Him for His faithfulness today and forever!
12/04/2024
Read: Galatians 5:5 - For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
Reflect: We’ve spoken at length about the foundation of our hope in the Lord. But what is it that we are hoping for? Through the Holy Spirit, we are eagerly waiting and hoping for the righteousness that can only come through Jesus. And because of Jesus, we are already righteous in the eyes of the Lord. Which means here, Paul is speaking of the full culmination of our practical righteousness. Not only a righteous standing, but a righteous being. The day is coming when all our deeds and thoughts will be righteous at every moment because the Holy Spirit has finished His work of sanctification and we are free from the body of death. And this hope comes not by our own works or character, but by faith in the person of Jesus Christ. What a glorious hope for righteousness!
Respond: As you spend time with the Lord, ask that His Holy Spirit continues the work of righteousness in you. Meditate on what it looks like to “eagerly wait” for the hope of righteousness. Confess your struggles and shortcomings, acknowledge “there are none righteous” apart from His grace, and thank Him for the gift of righteousness through Jesus.
12/03/2024
Read: Lamentations 3:21-24 - “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I hope in Him!’”
Reflect: I think we underestimate just how important hope is. When faced with the hard and dark trials of life, our hope in the Lord is what can carry us through. Jeremiah was devastated by the desolation wrought upon his people and just how bad things had gotten. Throughout Lamentations, he laments at the destroyed state of his nation, knowing full well it’s the result of their sin. But these verses mark a turning point. He has not lost all hope. Not because of some flimsy idea of “it’s all going to be okay”, but because of the Lord’s great mercy and faithfulness. Even when we stumble in sin, His mercy and compassion is “new every morning”. What an awesome foundation for our hope! Our portion -- meaning our provision and inheritance -- is God Himself. He is the eternal Light at the end of the dark tunnel, waiting for those who choose to hope in Him.
Respond: If you have been walking through a hard time recently, remind yourself of God’s daily mercy. Call upon His promise to you; ask for His compassion to wash over you. And do not lose hope; trust that He will do what He has promised! If times are good right now, praise God for the past times He has led you through. And ask Him to remind you of this Scripture when trials inevitably come your way again.
12/02/2024
Read: Romans 5:5 - “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
Reflect: If you think back to all the times you have been disappointed, you would probably lose count. Our lives are filled with unmet expectations, plans that went sideways, and hopes that have failed. How great news is it then, that our hope in God will not disappoint! You can place all your hope upon Him and know that His plan will not fail and in the end, you will not be disappointed. And how can we know this is true? Because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. God’s unfathomable, unconditional, gracious love is the guarantee behind your hope in Him. This is the proof that God will complete the work He began. Hold on to your hope in Him, knowing you will not be disappointed.
Respond: Examine your heart and think: is there some disappointment from your life that is weighing on your soul? Is there a plan or person that failed you, and the resulting disappointment is a thorn in your heart? Ask God to fill your heart with hope once again. Rest in the knowledge that at the end of all things, you will not be disappointed by our Lord. His plan and His person will not and cannot fail.
12/01/2024
Read: 1 Peter 1:13 - “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ...”
Reflect: God’s grace is His unmerited favor upon us as His children. We have done nothing deserving of this favor, nor have we done anything to manifest this grace for ourselves. We had nothing to do with the grace given to us in Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection; likewise, we will have nothing to do with the grace bestowed upon us at His second coming. And this is the singular cause for our hope. If my hope were to rest upon my own strength, deeds, or character, it would quickly fail me and not be a hope at all. But the fact that I can fully rest my hope upon the Lord’s grace and His promise to return bolsters my hope so much more. And that word “fully” is important. It doesn’t say to put some hope in one thing (whether that be myself, my church, my works) and some in the Lord. My hope must be fully rested on the grace that has been given and the grace that is to come. Our lives are bookended -- surrounded on both sides, beginning to end -- with the grace of God. I can live my life in the hope that God’s grace will never fail to uphold me.
Respond: Go now to the Lord in prayer and thank Him for His grace upon your life. The grace that is and the grace that is to come. Ask Him to bring to mind if there is any other thing upon which you are resting your hope. Cast that thing before the Lord and recommit your hopes to Him and His grace alone.
Advent Season 2024
The holiday season can mean many different things to different people. It may be a season of busyness, excitement, anxiety, or even sadness. But the Church over its history has intended to make this a season of holy preparation and consecration in what is called Advent -- a time to intentionally reflect on the birth of Jesus in the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day. The significance of Him entering into our world -- to live a perfect life and die an atoning death -- cannot be understated. We have created this devotional in the hopes that each day, as you get closer to Christmas, your heart would steadily be stirred and tilled to receive the hope, joy, peace, and love of the Lord Jesus Christ. So come, let us adore Him together. We pray that you would know Him deeper in this season of Advent.