We held our “Hanging of the Greens” service Sunday evening, which included a carry-in dinner. I was asked how many people to expect for the dinner so we would have enough juice, napkins, coffee, etc. I said we should expect 30 people. Thirty-two showed up.
The writer of Hebrews has a simple sentence at the outset of Chapter 11 which sums up faith. What is faith? What does this mean to you? How can you apply it in your own walk of faith or ministry?
My estimation for Sunday was a hopeful guess and nothing more. It was more coincidence than anything else that we had the number of people that we did, however, that kind of attitude is what we need as we go through our lives as believers in Jesus Christ.
If we believe in God, then we have faith. If we have faith, then we should be confident in our hopes – sure of them, certain of them. It is all too easy for us to doubt and question, but that is not what we are called to do.
Christmas is a commemoration of the gift of Jesus, God’s Son sent from heaven to show us the way to live and the path to salvation. Part of the ministry of Christ, which began with that humble birth, involves teaching us to have hope for good.
First, we can hope for the salvation and mercy that comes from God, and that hope need not be weak or vague. We should live in confident knowledge that Jesus Christ did indeed live and die for us.
And not only should we have hope for good, we should have confidence in our hope, knowing in our hearts without doubt that goodness will be done. This is also part of the gift of Christmas, the knowledge that you have a shepherd king who watches over you in the strength of the Lord. And he also imparts to you, his heir, the strength of the Lord, so that you may serve God’s kingdom with goodness and grace, and with the certainty that what you work for – if it is meant to serve God – will be successful.
This attitude of confident hope can also be a gift to others. When you live out this attitude you show others, those not familiar with the ways of the Lord, how they ought to live too. The gift of hope with certainty is then passed on.
DAILY CHALLENGE: What can you do to share your hope, and your confidence in that hope, with others?
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