Nougat 4

Recently while flying, we got caught in some serious turbulence. It was rough going, so much so that it felt like the pilot had lost control of the plane. I began to get a little nervous. And then the still small voice registered – I prayed. It didn’t immediately stop the rocking, but it calmed me. In some instances, that’s all we need: the gentle assurance that God’s Got Us.

This assurance is what we need in all circumstances. And our faith in Jesus makes it possible. Advent offers that opportunity. Please receive today’s Holy Nougat.

“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Hope Alive

Although Faith and Hope are inextricably linked I’d like to focus on Hope. It may seem that Hope is fleeting, we hope for so many things. Yet, I’d argue that without the initial idea, there is limited chance for anything to happen. For hope is the idea that births a dream. Hope is also the engine room for transforming despair and nervousness. And Hope tends to generate positive thoughts.

For the psalmist David, Hope is directly connected to trusting God’s grace and mercy to pull through. And that comes from one’s own experience of God. Thus, having proven God in countless life experiences – support to conquer lions and bears out in the wilderness; military vision to overcome Goliath the giant, courage to face Saul’s jealousy and so forth – David knew that God was in his corner. His hope was the kernel of positivity that kept David going in the rough patches of life.

It gave David the confidence to remind himself that he lacked nothing, that he was not alone in the Valley of Shadows, that he could be fearless when passing still waters and that he would be provided for even when the enemy tried to close access to supplies. That’s what David’s hope was rooted in in Psalm 23!

One songwriter says, ‘My Hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ Blood and righteousness.’ And that’s possible for you and me too. Advent takes us through the entire course of our faith story. We remember Jesus’ birth – the assurance that God became human to solve a human crisis; His life on earth adds substantial support to our experiences; and His resurrection is the guarantee that we can earnestly Hope that *Christ Will Come Again* and assures us a place with Him when He returns to take us Home!

Hope births Faith which establishes actions to ensure that this becomes our reality. We have not seen it yet, but God’s track record with Jesus and the testimony of God’s Spirit keep Hope alive. We visit stories of those gone before who believed or struggled to believe; comforting ourselves and strengthening our Hope. We imagine what Mary, Elizabeth and others overcame mentally to accept God’s promises at ‘face value’.

As we fam the flames of our hope, we might stop to consider how our faith may ignite another’s hope in the future; inviting them to see God at work with, in, and through us. So what if we don’t have control – maybe it’s time to allow God to pilot us. Then we can be assured that God’s grace got us.

How do we respond to the turbulence in our lives? Can we find hope by looking to Jesus with our own prayers, or borrowing one of David’s? Come now our souls, find hope in the God of our salvation.

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May all we seek be found in Christ