“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the power of the Holy Spirit.’” Matthew 1:20
God will fill us with the joy, peace and power of the Holy Spirit — if we trust Him. As we put our trust in Him, we will find the power of hope that overflows.
What is this hope? Some people understand hope as wishful thinking, as in “I hope something will happen.” That’s not what the Bible means about hope. The biblical definition of hope is “confident expectation.”
In other words, hope is a firm assurance regarding things that are unclear and unknown. Hope is knowing someone believes in you and will never quit on you. Hope is the anchor to life; it is the one word that keeps us going in all seasons of life. Hope sees the present — moving us toward a good future.
And we all can received this hope — found in the person of Jesus the Christ. It is through Him there is a hope that sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible. And since Jesus arrived at Christmas time — the word hope can also be described — surprise.
In the Gospel of Luke, when Joseph learned that his fiancée Mary was pregnant, Joseph was both shocked and surprised. His hope was destroyed, until the angel told him — the rest of the story. Joseph then affirmed — the power of hope!
We live in a world full of many unknown possibilities. We wonder where our life is headed. We wonder if anything we do counts for anything these days. We even often wonder if God hears our prayers. Well, our hope has arrived!
Jesus brought the power of hope to the world. Whether you are hopeful or you have lost all hope, the power of hope can be found in Jesus. All we must do is put our trust in Him. It’s time to celebrate the power of hope!
Rev. Marion J. Miller is the senior pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church, 1201 Thomas V. Bryant Drive, Jeffersonville, Indiana. She may also be contacted at 812-283-3747 or via email at wesley1201@sbcglobal.net
