A Thrill of Hope - Week 1: Day 2

I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.  —Matthew 13:33–35
 
 As we navigate through this Advent journey, let us cast our hearts and minds on the first candle of Advent… Hope.

If you had to choose one thing this season to hope for, what would it be? Take a moment to think about that and write it down on the first line or two in the space provided.
Now let’s take a moment to understand what was occurring when Matthew penned the words, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world. He was quoting scripture from Psalms 78:2 and was linking that prophetic reference to what Christ was doing. What was Christ doing? He was teaching in parables all the “hidden treasures” of knowing Him. They were “hidden treasures” for His people to understand regarding the future hope, present and perfect hope and sometimes, how that hope should impact their lives. In other words, there was “things” hidden” …a missing link for lack of a better word, that was difficult to understand about the Messiah that the people had hoped for (a political leader) and the Messiah that Jesus was and is (the spiritual and eternal King).

You see, what the people “hoped” for was not as not nearly as rewarding or as beneficial as what they were getting. Their hope was limited to what they could see. But the hope we have in Christ is unlimited because of what He sees. They did not understand the nature of the work of Christ or what He had to offer, so Jesus was revealing to them the “missing links” or “hidden treasures” so that they would appreciate Him for who He is. Then they could understand His mission and the affect that it would have on them. When Christ came, what He offered (Hope) was far greater and could do far more than they ever expected or dreamed. Because of His love for His people, Christ offered them more than they asked for, and they did not even realize that the need for the gift they received.

Many times, we short sight ourselves. If you have written down the things you hoped for down on the lines provided, go ahead and take a look at them. There is likely nothing wrong with your list…but is it short sighted? If your hope is anchored in your perspective, then it is. If your hope is anchored in the same Messiah that came in the manger to die on the cross, that brought more to the people than they realized they needed… only then are you ready to walk by faith. He went far above and beyond what the people thought they need to be what they really needed, and He will do the same for you now. The key to this is first, placing your hope solely in Him. The Bible says all things are held together in Him, through Him, For Him, and by Him (Colossians 1:15-17). The second key is just as important

as the first. You see, not only do we have to place our hope for everything in Him, we have to be satisfied or content with everything from Him, because in Him all things are held together. In other words, we must place our hope in Him and then be satisfied with the outcomes related to our hopes knowing that there is something in store for us far greater than we can ever imagine or wrap our minds around. It is when we understand this, that we can begin seeing the “hidden things” understanding the parables of our lives while putting the pieces together so that the situations that have occurred and the outcome of our hope makes sense. What once seemed hidden to us, is now revealed given time, trust, and truth.

Not only do we need to increase our faith, but in the same way we need to accept and appreciate the reality of our hope. What are some ways that you can embrace the hope you have this Christmas? Do you think your hope influences your confidence in Christ?