Sunday we celebrated the first Sunday of Advent. The word advent is a version of a Latin term
which means “coming.” We use these weeks leading up to Christmas as a chance
to look forward to our celebration of the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, the
light of the world, our Savior. Our first week focused specifically on the gift of hope that we find in
Jesus, especially during dark seasons of life.
Hebrews 6:19 says, “We have this hope as an anchor for the
soul, firm and secure.” I love the imagery of an anchor. An anchor does not remove
us from the storm or moving water; it secures us in the midst of it.
Everyone relates to the need for hope. Sometimes life overwhelms us. Financial stresses, relational dysfunctions, memories
of loss, broken hearts, sickness, etc. We’ve all been there at some time or
another. If you find yourself in a season of hopelessness, let me
encourage you with three thoughts: acknowledging the darkness around us,
embracing the wait, and committing to the journey.
Acknowledge the Darkness
It does no good to say there is no darkness. We have to
acknowledge where we are.
Before Easter of this year, I knew something was
wrong with my body, so I went to the doctor, who told me I was simply getting
older and should expect some of the symptoms I was describing. Two weeks later
I went back and insisted something was not right. After some persistence, he
ordered an x-ray and an ultrasound, and found I had a tumor in my bladder and
it needed to be removed. I could have said, “There’s nothing wrong…” “I am not
sick…” “I am a child of God…” and denied the symptoms. I could have done that all
the way up to stage four cancer.
We have to acknowledge we in a dark place before we can
completely turn to God. Sick people seek out doctors because they admit they are
sick. Weak people seek assistance because they recognize their
weakness. Sinners repent because they come to the conclusion that they
are sinners and are separated from God. Facing the darkness and calling it what it is allows us to
see true light. It’s when we acknowledge the darkness that we can see the star
that leads us on the journey.
Embrace the Wait
No one likes waiting. We live in a culture that does
everything possible to reduce the amount of time we spend waiting! Waiting is
uncomfortable. Waiting is lonely. Waiting takes longer than you think or desire,
but waiting is also a time of self-discovery – your weaknesses and your
strengths and your need for God. Waiting is also a time of God-discovery - we discover
we can trust him, and we can hear his voice.
Furthermore, waiting shapes our character and teaches us
more than we will every learn from getting what we want instantly. Do you know how you learn the meaning of endurance? You have
to endure. Endurance changes you.
Advent is a time of waiting. While it feels unnatural, there
is great benefit in embracing this season. The waiting reminds us of where our
hope is set. It allows us the time and focus to hear the voice of God, the
promise that our hope will be fulfilled. Waiting deepens our faith in God and creates a deeper hunger
for Him.
Commit to the Journey
My natural images of waiting involves sitting around; one
involves moving. But the concept of waiting throughout the Bible is one of
active waiting. We wait with expectant hearts, but we are constantly moving
forward on our journey.
Priest, professor, writer, and theologian, Henri J. M. Nouwen
described the waiting we see in Scripture
as very active. In Waiting for God,
he wrote, “Active waiting means to be present fully to the moment, in the
conviction that something is happening where you are and that you want to be
present to it.” As the psalmist encouraged: “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord” (Psalm
31:24).
When I am waiting for light to shine through my darkness, I
have a few key passages of scripture I run to.
Psalms 121:1–4, “I lift up my eyes to the hills— where
does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and
earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not
slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”
Lamentations 3:19–26, “I remember my affliction and my
wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is
downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because
of the LORD’S great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The
LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The LORD is good to those
whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for
the salvation of the LORD.”
Isaiah 40:28–31 "Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his
understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases
the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble
and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they
will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
These passages are filled with hope and life. They remind us
that we are not alone in our darkness.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you
trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy
Spirit!” (Romans 15:13)
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