December 4 - 1 Peter 1:3

Advent is a season of waiting. Looking back with gratitude at Christ 1st coming, while also looking forward with hope to when he will return. And in 1st Peter, chapter one, verse 3, we are taught that that hope is more than just a feeling. It's as blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus, Christ, from the dead. Peter writes these words to believers who are suffering. They are facing fear, pressure, as well as persecution, and a life full of unsteadiness. And yet, he doesn't point them inward to find strength, but rather, he points them upward. He reminds them, and he's reminding us, that our hope is alive, because Jesus is alive. And this isn't wishful thinking. It's not fragile or temporary. It is rooted in the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because Christ rose from the dead, our hope is truly active, it grows, it sustains, it anchors us when everything around us seems like it's falling apart. And we are reminded that this hope, it certainly cannot be taken away. Well, Peter also says that God has given us a new birth. That means through faith in Christ, we are made new. We are fully forgiven, fully restored, and we are fully secure in a future, that even death cannot touch. And so as we move through this advent season, Let this living hope steady your heart, because Jesus lives, our hope lives as well.