At our weekly Thursday Night Bible Study, we are going through a series for Advent. This past Thursday we were talking and sharing about Hope.

It got me thinking of a simple, yet deeply impactful question… Where does your hope come from?

The answer to that question comes down to how you view hope. You either look at hope as a feeling or you see hope as a person (Jesus).

If you view hope based on a feeling then it will never be consistent. For example maybe you say, “I feel hopeful because of this situation” or “I feel hopeless at this time”. If that is you, then your hope is influenced and based upon the circumstances that you are in. We all know that how we feel changes about every fifteen minutes. So if our hope is dependant upon how we feel, then it will constantly be fluctuating.

Many times you hear someone say, “I hope that [insert wish here] happens”. That is not truly hope but rather a wish that something would take place.

True hope is meant to be certain and secure.

We have a hope that will not change or fluctuate based on our feelings or the circumstances around us. That hope is found only in Jesus Christ. He does not change nor does He waiver in who He is. The writer of Hebrews puts it this way, “19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6:19)

Having hope in Christ, does not mean the absence of storms or difficult times, but means that we are held firm and secure in the midst of those storms by our hope in Him.

One of the best examples for this comes from Mark 4, verses 35-41. Jesus and the disciples are in a boat traveling when a storm surrounds them. The disciples are losing their minds, afraid that they will drown but they find Jesus asleep on the very same boat. The difference is the peace that Jesus has in the midst of the storm, knowing where His hope is found.

No matter where you are or the storms you face, with Jesus you are never alone and can rest in His unchanging grace and mercy. I invite you to find your hope in Christ and Christ alone.