The Hope of Advent

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. Romans 5:5

     “Hope does not disappoint us.” Does this feel like a true statement to you? In Proverbs it says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” So often we feel “sick at heart.” In fact, many of us think it is safer to decide to not ever “get your hopes up,” because then you won’t be disappointed. Timothy Keller, in his book Counterfeit Gods,” writes: “We learn that through all of life there runs a grand note of cosmic disappointment. You are never going to lead a wise life until you understand that.” Ugh. Not too hopeful sounding, is it? So how can the Apostle Paul, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, say, “Hope does not disappoint”?

I was reading the following words to a song recently, called, “On Our Own”. The words say: “We cannot make it on our own/ We need You everywhere we go/ You are the hope of so much more/ Jesus, without You/ We cannot make it own our own. We’ve gotta keep our eyes on true hope, set our hearts on a heavenly home.”

“Keep our eyes on true hope.” The hope that does not disappoint is the true hope. True hope—hope set on God and on what is eternal is true hope. We tend to put our hope in what we want, when we want it. And we do get disappointed.

Are you feeling disappointed today? Keller says that in the face of disappointment, you have four options:

1. Blame the things that are disappointing you and move on to better ones. That’s the way of making our circumstances our gods.
2. Blame yourself and beat yourself up. That’s the way of self-loathing and shame.
3. You can blame the world. That’s the way of cynicism and emptiness.
4. You can reorient the entire focus of your life toward God. That’s the way to hope.

1. S. Lewis says: “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world—something supernatural and eternal.” We do not lose hope, when we fix our eyes on true hope–that hope does not, will not, can not, disappoint.

**What or who is your hope set on today? Will you keep your eyes on true hope?