December 22, 2024

Christmas Hope

December 9, 2015 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

Her wish this Christmas
Was that Christmas would just pass her by
Nothing could reach her
Or answer her questions why
She feels so alone
And she wonders if all hope is gone

Hope is a candle
A light in the window
Showing the way for
A heart to come home
Hope is a Savior
Who was born in the manger
Sent down from Heaven
To rescue our hearts
Our Christmas hope

She never imagined
That for her there was hope to find
But isn’t it amazing
How God brings a heart back to life
She’s smiling now she’s finding out
What Christmas hope is all about

Hope is a present
A gift freely given
To all who receive
And open their hearts
Hope is a promise
For a better tomorrow
In a world filled with sorrow
We always have hope

NewSong
Songwriters: Eddie Carswell and Matthew West

 *    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Hope is a Savior
Who was born in the manger
sent down from Heaven
to rescue our hearts

Yes!  This is part of our Christmas hope!  This is our daily hope!  This is the foundation of our eternal hope!  And accompanying our hope—trust and faith that He is coming back again!

This song was written as part of the soundtrack for the movie ‘Christmas Hope’ a faith-based movie about the lives of hurt, sad people and how they intertwine through times of tragedy and hope and restoration. (If you haven’t already seen this movie, it is a wonderful one to add to your holiday playlist!)

Just like the fictional folk who are part of the story of ‘Christmas Hope’ we, too, desperately need hope…sometimes it seems…at every turn of our lives.  And (just like Patty, Mark, Nathan, and little Emily), we HAVE been given the greatest Hope there could possibly be—a Savior, a Redeemer—Jesus Christ the Messiah!

God’s people waited hundreds of years for the fulfillment of the promise of a child to be born of the line of David in Bethlehem.  They believed and trusted and waited with HOPE for the promise to be fulfilled.

Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign:
Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin
shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us].
Isaiah 7:14

(See also Micah 5:2; Jeremiah 23:5 and 6; Isaiah 9:1-2, 6-7…among many other verses which contain these promises.)

God also made promises to a young Hebrew girl.  She had been taught by her parents about the promised Redeemer and had this hope within her heart.  God sent His messenger Gabriel to give her another promise.  This surely must have increased her hope!

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”

(excerpts from Luke 1:28-35)

Promises made in olden times have already come to pass—Jesus, the Son of God, was born and ultimately gave His life fulfilling many more promises.  And hope has been realized!  We cling to promises made that are still unfulfilled…promises that fuel our hope because we know the One Who has promised IS faithful!!!  May these be a vital part of our Christmas Hope!

And said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?
This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven,
will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:11

…so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many,
will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin,
to those who eagerly await Him.
Hebrews 9:28

Awaiting and looking for the [fulfillment, realization of our] blessed hope,
even the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior
Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One)…
Titus 2:13

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

You Are The Voice of Hope

December 6, 2014 by

SHhopeadvent

As high as the heavens are above the earth
So high are Your ways to mine
Ways so perfect they never fail me
I know You are good all the time
And through the storm yet I will praise You
Despite it all yet I will sing
Through good or bad yet I will worship
For You remain the same King of kings

You are the voice of hope
The Anchor of my soul
Where there seems to be no way
You make it possible
You are the Prince of peace
Amidst adversity
My lips will shout for joy
To You the Most High

You were the One before time began
There’s nothing beyond Your control
My confidence my assurance
Rest in Your unchanging word

Singer/Songwriter: Lara Martin along with the Abundant Life Church choir & orchestra

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

This Week…HOPE (Advent, week one)

December 5, 2014 by

SHhopeadvent

This week, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, Ann, Ahmee, Cynda, and Tina have written such wonderful devotionals encouraging us to hold onto the hope that comes through our Lord, Jesus Christ.

At the beginning of the week, in Advent Week One…Hope, Tina shared a wonderful resource that outlined some ideas about Advent and specifically about the symbolism and Scriptural background of lighting the candles on an Advent wreath.  She also wrote,

“The first week of the Advent season is to acknowledge hope. Hope is where we realize that God will always fulfill His promises. It does not mean we will not see troubles, but we will see God’s best, as long as we seek His Will first. As we celebrate this Christmas season, let’s just forget the political correctness…let us worship and proclaim our Savior’s birth as never before!”

~   ♥   ~

In Living Hope, Cynda shared this great perspective.

“Look at it this way:

  • Without Christ…there is no Christmas.
  • Without that miraculous birth…there is no crucifixion or resurrection.
  • Without Christ’s resurrection…there would be no hope.

Christ alone is our eternal hope, our living hope.”

~   ♥   ~

In False Hope, Ahmee helped us to see what TRUE hope is…and what FALSE hope is.

“Hope is a good thing. Hope means ‘to trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future‘. I’ve also heard it said that hope is a confident expectation of good.

False hope is a powerful tool, as well. I would say that false hope is hope in something that either is not real, distorted, (but most clearly) not grounded in God Almighty. False hope is putting your trust in human beings and believing that they have the ability to do what only God can do.”

~   ♥   ~

In Hope in the Lord, Ann reminded us what God has promised in Isaiah 40:31—

“Those who hope in the Lord have His promise of…

  • strength to revive them in the midst of exhaustion and weakness and suffering and trial
  • the ability to rise above their difficulties like an eagle that soars into the sky
  • the ability to run spiritually without tiring
  • being able to walk steadily forward without fainting at God’s delays”

~   ♥   ~

Dear Lord, we rest on the promises You have made knowing You are a faithful God.   Thank You for Your promise of a Savior, a Redeemer and the birth of Your Son that fulfilled that promise.  Thank You for Your promise, Lord, that You will return and Your will gather Your church and You will bring us to our eternal home.  As we continue through this season of Advent…focusing on all that the birth of Immanuel means…may our hope be sure and steadfast.  We love You and adore You…and pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

The Christmas Hope

December 4, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

Her wish this Christmas
Was that Christmas would just pass her by
Nothing could reach her
Or answer her questions why
She feels so alone
And she wonders if all hope is gone

Hope is a candle
A light in the window
Showing the way for
A heart to come home
Hope is a Savior
Who was born in the manger
Sent down from Heaven
To rescue our hearts
Our Christmas hope

She never imagined
That for her there was hope to find
But isn’t it amazing
How God brings a heart back to life
She’s smiling now she’s finding out
What Christmas hope is all about

Hope is a present
A gift freely given
To all who receive
And open their hearts
Hope is a promise
For a better tomorrow
In a world filled with sorrow
We always have hope

Songwriters: Eddie Carswell and Matthew West ~ Performed by NewSong

 *    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Hope is a Savior
Who was born in the manger
sent down from Heaven
to rescue our hearts

Yes!  This IS part of our Christmas hope!  This is our daily hope!  This is the foundation of our eternal hope!  And accompanying our hope—trust and faith that He is coming back again!

This song was written as part of the soundtrack for the movie ‘Christmas Hope’ a faith-based movie about the lives of hurt, sad people and how they intertwine through times of tragedy and hope and restoration. (If you haven’t already seen this movie, it is a wonderful one to add to your holiday playlist!)

Just like the fictional folk who are part of the story of ‘Christmas Hope’ we, too, desperately need hope…sometimes it seems…at every turn of our lives. And, just like Patty, Mark, Nathan, and little Emily, we HAVE been given the greatest Hope there could possibly be—a Savior, a Redeemer—Jesus Christ!

God’s people waited for hundreds of years for the fulfillment of the promise of a child to be born of the line of David in Bethlehem. They believed and trusted and waited with HOPE for the promise to be fulfilled.

Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign:
Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin
shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us].
Isaiah 7:14

(See also Micah 5:2; Jeremiah 23:5 and 6; Isaiah 9:1-2, 6-7…among many other verses.)

God also made promises to a young Hebrew girl.  She had been taught by her parents about the promised Redeemer and had this hope within her heart.  God sent His messenger Gabriel to give her another promise.  This surely must have increased her hope!

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”

(excerpts from Luke 1:28-35)

Promises made in olden times have already come to pass—Jesus, the Son of God, was born and ultimately gave His life fulfilling many more promises.  And hope has been realized!  We cling to promises made that are still unfulfilled…promises that fuel our hope because we know the One Who has promised IS faithful!!!  May these be a vital part of our Christmas Hope!

And said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?
This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven,
will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:11

…so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many,
will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin,
to those who eagerly await Him.
Hebrews 9:28

Awaiting and looking for the [fulfillment, realization of our] blessed hope,
even the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior
Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One)…
Titus 2:13

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Hope in the Lord

December 1, 2014 by

SHhopeadvent

 

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.
Hebrews 6:19-20

Hope is a product of having faith that something that you have been looking for, or been desiring to have, will come to pass.

• Hope moves you from anxiety to fact of life
• Hope comes from deep inside your heart
• Hope gives confidence

Our Hope (the One Who moves us from anxiety and gives us confidence) is the Lord Jesus Christ.  He became our Hope of glory over 2000 years ago.  When faced with challenges in this life He (our Hope) should be our number one main Friend to go to before interacting with anyone else.

To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles
are the riches of the glory of this mystery,
which is Christ within and among you, the Hope of glory.
Colossians 1:27

To hope in the Lord is to trust Him fully with our lives.  It involves looking to Him as our Source of help and grace in time of need.

…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.
Isaiah 40:31

Those who hope in the Lord have His promise of

  • strength to revive them in the midst of exhaustion and weakness and suffering and trial
  • the ability to rise above their difficulties like an eagle that soars into the sky
    the ability to run spiritually without tiring
  • being able to walk steadily forward without fainting at God’s delays

God promises that if His people will patiently trust Him, He will provide whatever is needed to sustain them constantly.

However, we hope for something we have not yet seen, and we patiently wait for it.
Romans 8:25
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for He Who promised is faithful.
Romans 10:23

Sisters in the Lord, remember…no one who puts his/her hope in the Lord will be put to shame.

No one whose hope is in You will ever be put to shame
but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.
Psalm 25:3

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *  

Dear Lord, we thank You for You are a wonderful and loving Father, Who makes promises…and always fulfills Your promises.  We love You, Abba Father, for all the promises that You have fulfilled and those that you are yet to fulfill in our lives.  We have hope because You are perfecting everything for our good.  We trust You with our anxieties, challenges, and everything about us.  We trust in You for Your help.  Please help us to sort out our issues and perfect our walk with You in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,