As a collective group, I think it’s safe to say that humans have never used the word HOPE more in one year.

For most people the word hope is simply synonymous with the word wish. Having hope is merely having an optimistic outlook that allows a situation to be bearable. Unfortunately though, in this case the power behind hope lies only in the strength of the desire of the person saying the word. And I can tell you, no matter how much hope I have as a mother for my kids to go back to school and things to return to normal and my family to stay healthy, I am clearly not that powerful because so far, none of my wishes are coming true. And it’s a real bummer!

For Christians though, the word HOPE is very different. HOPE is a confident expectation in God and His faithfulness. Hope is leaning in on God’s promises and trustfully waiting on Him to come through. There is great joy knowing He will make all things right, a peace that can not be explained or even understood most times. But we feel it, and our weary souls rejoice!

As we near Christmas, we approach the one time of year when, no matter who you are or what you believe, you can’t deny the almost tangible HOPE that is everywhere. Almost every store, radio station, and Christmas show blairs music that proclaims Jesus’ glory as He came to earth as a baby to become the King that would save it from itself. Cards, books, and advertisements seem to turn a blind eye to politically correctness because the true meaning and message of Christmas is undeniable. The saddest souls and darkest hearts can’t stop this movement in December, And for just a short season, it seems like this HOPE that we are so confident in is made known to even the most hopeless and lost.

So as we move forward, adding the stress of the holidays on top of the stress of living through 2020, may we stand firm in the HOPE that Christ has given us. May we use this confidence to shine an even brighter light pointing the way to a Savior whose promises are far more than wishes. May we allow God to use us during a time when so many are lost and afraid to turn to Him and experience the HOPE that overflows from within.

And while no one will ever say 2020 was the best year ever, may it be said by many that this is the year where they felt the peace and joy of Christ more than ever.