Biblical Hope for the Holidays and New Year!
‘Tis the season! How are you feeling? How’s your outlook? Are you feeling hopeful? The holidays are here, and the New Year is just a few weeks away. Typically, this time of year, our expectations rise as we anticipate the celebrations of the season – Advent, Christmas, and the New Year. But, without hope, it’s not easy to be content or expectant this time of year. So, where are you placing your hope?
What are You Hoping for This Season?
Are you hoping for a gorgeous leather coat, the latest iPhone, or a trip to Tahiti? Are you expecting the New Year to bring new relationships? Are you hoping for a brighter tomorrow? Take a moment to reflect on your expectations for the holidays and New Year. What are you hoping for?
I’m hoping for spiritual renewal as spoken in Psalm 51:12 NKJV, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.” I’m praying for my heart to be filled with joy, a rekindling of God’s Spirit.
As I wait expectantly, I am praying for a deeper relationship with God because I know many of the experiences and materials things I may expect are temporary, a wish list of items that are just that, wishes, but my spiritual growth is for eternity.
Hope versus Wishes
The difference between hope and wishes is that wishes are a feeling or a strong desire for something that is not easily attainable, a desire to want something that cannot or probably will not happen. A wish can become an object of desire. Hope is to confidently expect, anticipate, and trust that something will happen.
I can’t speak for you, but I do know that when I wish for something, the particular item can (and most likely will) become an object of desire. And, if I’m not careful, I can begin to covet my desire, placing my wishes before God, and this is not something I want to be known for, nor do I want to put anything in front of God.
Wishes are temporary, but my belief in God is for eternity. I’m seeking Biblical truth and building on Biblical hope for my future. I no longer wish to seek the temporary things of this life.
Hope for the Future
Biblical Hope is the trust and confidence in God’s promise for our future. As we place our hope in God, we find encouragement as we patiently wait for God to work in our lives. Hope is significant to our waiting.
We are called to place our trust and confidence in God, not the world. The world’s definition of hope is to place our hope (trust) in things of the world – careers, loved ones, wealth, and businesses. Placing our hope in material things and/or individuals replaces God. I don’t know about you, but I want to lead a God-centered life, not a me-centered life.
Biblical Hope for Spiritual Growth
If we are lacking Biblical Hope, or if we lose hope, what are we saying about our God? A lack of hope communicates a lack of trust. If I am sharing God’s Word, and His promises but have no hope, I’m not reflecting Christ because Biblical Hope is placing my trust in God. It’s not wishing things would be better. It’s not making things happen in my own strength. Biblical Hope is the understanding and knowing that through God, I live with hope and confidence without fear of the future.
So, I ask you again, what’s your hope look like these days? What is your hope attached to? My hope is attached to God’s Word.
Scripture for Biblical Hope
I’d like to share with you 5 Encouraging Bible Verses for Biblical Hope. These verses are important to my spiritual growth and faith walk. The scriptures remind me of God’s promises and the significance of placing my hope in Him. I hope that you, too, will meditate on these scriptures to grow spiritually and increase your confidence in God and His word throughout the holiday and New Year.
5 Encouraging Scriptures for Biblical Hope
“Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.”
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope.”
“The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.”
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in [c]you all.”
May Your Christmas Holiday bring you renewed Hope and Faith for the New Year!
If you are feeling alone, I want you to know you are not alone and that there is hope. Please reach out. I would be happy to connect with you and pray for you. In Christ alone, my hope is found.
