Devotion:
For an audio version of this devotion, click here.
Read Psalm 71:14-15a.
We are people of hope. Today’s scripture underscores that: “But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.” (v. 14) You and I are shaped by hope for today and hope for the future. Hope is not mere optimism but is grounded in the reality of our faith. Because of what God has already done, and the promises that God has made, we hope for what God will be doing both in our lives and in our world. David, the writer of this psalm, lived by this belief. He constantly called out to God for help and often repeated his belief that his hope was in God alone. The older David got, the more life experiences that he had - the more he talked about hope.
Perhaps growing older gives one a more experienced perspective. We learn more, see more, experience more (both positive and negative), and make our share of mistakes. And yet we can also attest to the many places over a lifetime where we have seen and experienced God’s grace, and sometimes in surprising or unexpected ways. No matter how dark it may be in our lives and society, we too have reason to hope. What are you hoping for this Advent season?
Personal Worship Option:
Lord, help me to help others to hope. In Jesus name. Amen.
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