Wednesday, December 03, 2014

Advent: Hope for Israel in Jeremiah 33

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Advent 2014 – Week 1 – Hope

The Christian year begins, not with a popular holiday such as Christmas or Easter, but with Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas. Advent is a bit like Lent. Just as Lent is a period for reflection and introspection to prepare for Easter, Advent is a time to reflect in preparation for Christmas.

On this first week of Advent, we look at a passage in Jeremiah. We reflect upon the struggles, the trials, and sufferings of the world around us. We do our best to place ourselves amidst the hopelessness that is the experience of so many in the world. We do this because the Christian hope that doesn’t relate to the actual experiences of despair, is not really much of a hope.

The hope is God’s chesed – his steadfast love, his grace. While we seem to be helpless when it comes to breaking our covenant with God, he remains faithful. Our hope is in God’s faithfulness. When he promises that he will restore all things in justice and righteousness, we know that it will come to pass.

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