Advent is a time for waiting and hoping, a time of longing for the promises of God to be fulfilled.
Christmas is the time when we remember that God came down to a broken and hurting world, stepping into the mess to bring us hope, peace, love and joy.
You are warmly invited to use the daily Bible verses and reflections to expectantly journey through Advent as we ponder Finding Hope.
Week 2 – The Hope of Peace
Last week we thought about Christian Hope. Maybe you have that hope and you are confident in the hope that your faith brings…but perhaps even with hope waiting isn’t easy. We wait for the promises of God, for prayers to be answered and for healing.
During Advent we are encouraged to be active in our waiting, during the busyness of this season though it is easy to get distracted. This week we move on to look at peace, the idea of Shalom and flourishing. What might peace look like for us?
Day 1 – Hope in the Waiting?
When I wait you strengthen my heart. Psalm 27:14
The ex Archbishop of York John Sentamu once said; ” Each year, at this time- the beginning of the church’s year we find ourselves facing in two direction. We look back, reflecting and rejoicing in the story of Christ’s first coming to earth, to be Emmanuel- God with us. We look forward, with hope and godly fear to his glorious return.” When we find ourselves waiting it’s easy to focus on the not yet, the thing on which we are waiting. I wonder today in what ways looking back, remembering the faithfulness of God might help us to have hope for the future…even in the waiting?
Day 2 – When Waiting Seems Unfair.
Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Matt 11:28
Waiting can be tough, in fact let’s be honet it can be downright frustrating. There are times when waiting even seems unfair. It’s tempting when we’re waiting for something and God doesn’t seem to be doing anything to one of two things. Either try and make it happen ourselves or stop expecting and stop praying about it. But the truth is even though we can’t see the bigger picture, we can have faith in a God who can. When our hope is in Him we trust in His plans for us, His care for us and His timing. Why not today talk to God again about those things you are waiting for, give Him your burdens- He can handle our frustrations!
Day 3 – St Augustine.
When the time is right, I, the Lord will make it happen. Isaiah 60:22
St Augustine had something to say about waiting in confident expectation. “If God seems slowin responding, it is because He is preparing a better gift. He will not deny us. He wants you to have a lively desire for His greatest gifts. All of which is to say pray always and do not lose heart.” Perhaps there are two nuggets to be gleaned from St Augustine! The first is that waiting is not something to be dreaded or avoided. In this age of instant gratification waiting has become an annoyance and an inconvenience. Yet there are plenty of examples in the Bible of people who had to wait…Abraham had to wait til he was 90 to become a Father! But waiting isn’t a passive thing. Our response and heart attitude in the waiting is important.
Day 4 – Control
He has made everything beautiful in His time. Ecclesiastes 3:11
The second nugget from Augustine’s thoughts on waiting is that we are not in control; God is. We know that waiting is an inherent and necessary part of life. We understand that waiting may be hard sometimes, but when we have God’s Hope we can find peace which enables us to better appreciate and rejoice in the fulfilment of those promises. God never changes, His love is steadfast for each of us. In our waiting we can have hope that God is in control, we don’t need to do it, we can rest in Him confident He will make things right in His time. May this bring us comfort and peace even in troubled times.
Day 5 – Wait or Hope?
Have patience God isn’t finished yet. Philippians 1:6
In Spanish the word for ‘wait’ is also the root of the word hope! The mundane, day-to-day waiting we all do is not always easily undertaken, sometimes we are left disappointed or even heartbroken.Yet the very act of waiting implies that there is hope that fulfilment is coming. As Christians we are waiting for something greater than we can imagine and can have hope knowing it’s waiting that is not done in vain. Advent is a fervent reminder of this as week after week we approach the certain coming of Christmas, which marks the incarnation, the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The Prince of Peace is coming, the prophets foretold of his birth. In what ways do you think hope and peace are connected?
Day 6 – Hope in Jesus.
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:25
In his letters St Paul wrote much about hope and waiting for Christ’s return. In Romans 8 ” For in hope we have been saves, but hope that is seen is not hope;for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eargerly for it.” These words are perhaps even more pertinent today than they were at the time they were written. Advent reminds us that our hope is in Jesus Christ and so our hope is not in vain. The Advent themes of hope, peace, love and joy are all wrapped up in God. Why not spend a few moments today reflecting on the faithfulness of God. Give thanks for the time in your life when you have seen God, the Prince of Peace, at work.
Day 7 – Peace in the Present.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in times of trouble. Therefore we will not fear. Psalm 46:1-2
As frustrating as it can be waiting, it’s worth remembering that this time of waiting isn’t wasteful, instead we can try to look on it as an opportunity to enjoy God in the present. Advent sees us rushing from one thing to the next, but when we pause to be in the present we can see God at work all around us. In the places we go, in the people that we encounter, in the tasks we undertake. God surrounds us and offers us His peace. As we come to the end of this week, let’s take a moment to be still and to recognise God with us. Ask Him to give you His peace as you wait for the promises you long for and as we wait for His coming.
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