“May God, the source of hope, fill you with joy and peace through your faith in him. Then you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 GW

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Glistening white lights fill our homes and line our streets. Parties and shopping fill our calenders. Christmas is the season of hope– the hope of presents under the tree, family coming together, and a prosperous new year.

The excitement and anticipation of children can be seen everywhere. But somewhere there’s a child whose precious momma is deathly ill, an unemployed person struggling to put food on the table and someone contemplating taking their life because they have lost hope.

Hebrews 11 tells us that faith directs our lives. In other words, our faith in directly affects our hope. Faith and belief are interchangeable. Dictionary.com defines belief as confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof. Hmmm, sounds familiar. What or who we put our faith in is where we put our hope.

In Scripture, Jesus shows up time and time again to demonstrate how important our faith is if we expect to see our hope fulfilled. He tells one woman her faith is so great that her hope will be met (Matt. 15:28). In another scenario, a father admits he’s struggling with belief and begs Jesus to help him so he can see his son well again (Mark 9:24). Jesus also commends a woman with chronic bleeding for reaching out and touching His robe (Mark 5:24). Immediately the woman was healed when fear disappeared. At the time, Jesus was traveling to the home of of a synagogue leader with a deathly ill daughter. Messengers arrived on the scene with news of the death of the daughter. They suggested that it was too late and to leave it well enough alone, but Jesus said to the distressed father, “Don’t be afraid! Just believe.”

We’re also told if we have faith the size of a mustard seed we’ll see miracles (Luke 17:6).

Are you facing a bleak situation? How can you heed Jesus’s words?

Consider the following:

• Seek Him. Find a quiet place free from distraction to pray and seek God. This is the example Jesus set for us (Mark 1:35).
• Focus on Him. Remember He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8). The promises of God in Christ are yes and amen (2 Cor. 1:20). Meditate on His word and character. What you choose to focus on often becomes your reality.
• Worship Him. He is worthy of all your praise. You are expressing adoration to the one who makes all things possible. Worship is about how you live your life in response to the life he gave for you. Have you accepted His free gift of abundant life now?

If not, you can pray this simple prayer: God, I need you!  I surrender my life to you and invite you to live in and through me by the power of the Holy Spirit. Through Your Son’s death and resurrection you made all things new, including me. My hope is in You, alone.

Our hope comes from God when we receive by faith through grace. Joy and peace fill us because we simply believe.

Merry Christmas!