Waiting in Hope

Joanie Shawhan is an overcomer. Her belief in God's Word and trust in her Savior, Jesus, informs her choices about the struggles of life. It also teaches her how to wait in hope for the God who is in control. In this special Christmas UPGRADE, Joanie approaches the celebration of Advent with the desire to encourage each one of us to "wait in hope.""Mom could no longer manage another winter in her house," Joanie said. "We decided to sell her home and move her into assisted living by Christmas."

My husband and I (Dawn) and his extended family went through something similar with my husband's parents in 2021. It wasn't easy. There were so many challenges—opportunities to trust God. But through it all, we learned a lot about trusting God's timing, and waiting for Him to show Himself mighty. Like Joanie, we learned to "wait in hope."

How does this relate to Christmas?

Joanie continues . . .

Several buyers walked through the house, but they shook their heads. The house needed too much work.

I feared it wouldn’t sell.

Doubt and worry had whittled down my hope and left me exhausted.

A friend reminded me, “You only need one buyer.”

As I prayed, I sensed the Lord nudge me to declare “Jesus is Lord” over our situation. I prayed as God directed. I felt enveloped in a blanket of peace.

Once again, I engaged in the waiting process. But this time accompanied by a new faith and hope.

As I pondered waiting in hope, I was reminded of the Christmas story.

The Long, LO-O-O-ONG Wait!

For centuries, the Israelites waited and watched in hope for the coming of the promised Messiah. Even when they endured persecution and exile, they waited in hope. Against all odds, they believed God would fulfill His Word.

‘“The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior’” (Jeremiah 23:5-6 NIV).

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14 NIV).

Even though they trusted in God’s Word, did they understand these prophecies concerning the arrival of the Messiah?

It would be 700 YEARS LATER before the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary.

“Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:31-33 NIV).

Even Mary didn’t understand the Angel’s message. How could the words of this angel be fulfilled since she was still a virgin?

But Mary believed God. Little did Mary know how her “Yes” would not only change her, but would transform the world.

Mary's “yes” acknowledged the Lordship of God as she waited in hope.

When I declare “Jesus is Lord” over my situation, I acknowledge God’s sovereignty as I wait in hope. Even when I don’t understand God’s plan.

How does my declaration of  “Jesus is Lord” help me wait in hope?

• I replace my doubt and unbelief with faith.
• I surrender to the will of God by confessing, “Not my will, but yours be done.”
• I relinquish control of my circumstances. God is in control.
• I acknowledge that when I obey His Word, I am not responsible for the outcome of my situation. God is.
• I express my love for the Lord through my obedience.
• I worship God for who He is and not just for what He can do for me.

Even when I wait in hope, the answer to my prayers is not always the answer I desire. Sometimes I don’t understand why a loving God would allow His children to suffer various trials.

I wonder if Mary recalled Simeon’s words when the Romans nailed her beloved Son to the cross.

“Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’” (Luke 2:34-35 NIV).

Mary didn’t understand God’s plan either. Only later did she see the glory of God.

We may not see God’s glory in our situation on this side of eternity, but as we walk with the Lord, we trust He will be glorified.

Advent is a liturgical season of waiting. A time to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus at Christmas.

The first of the four candles of advent is the candle of hope. Hope—a light shining in a dark place.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NIV).

We can wait in hope because God is faithful.

How are you waiting in hope during this advent season?

Joanie Shawhan shares true-life stories, offering her reader an eyewitness view of the action. Her Selah Awards Finalist book, In Her Shoes: Dancing in the Shadow of Cancer, reflects the value of “Your story plus my story become our stories.” An ovarian cancer survivor and registered nurse, Joanie speaks to medical students in the Survivors Teaching Students program. She co-founded an ovarian cancer social group: The Fried Eggs—Sunny-Side Up. Publishing credits include: Guideposts Divine Interventions, Snapshots of Hope & Heart, Wit, Whimsy & Wisdom, Life Repurposed, and We May Be Done But We’re Not Finished. Follow Joanie at www.joanieshawhan.com.

Christmas Graphic adapted, courtesy of TerriCnuddle at Pixabay.

A Christmas Me-Lighting

Kaley Rhea is wise and insightful, a witty millennial who loves to tweak our minds so we think biblically in everyday life. This Christmas UPGRADE will take you back to the "why" of Christmas and tweak your joy!

Kaley says, "You like Christmas lights? I got some straight-up Christmas fireworks here for you."

When I (Dawn) read Kaley's post, I thought, "Yes, the truth is what we need to renew our Christmas joy. Jesus, the Light of the Word, is our great Overcomer!

Kaley continues . . .

First, I want to invite you to take a look at 1 John 3, verses 5 and 8 with me:

“You know that He appeared in order to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin… Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” (ESV)

Now let’s go back to the beginning. Old Testament.

Back to the Genesis garden where the world was perfect, and humanity existed sinlessly and with the mission to get to know God by turning the rest of creation into the kind of beautiful home He’d made for them in Eden.

What did the devil do?

• He sowed in them doubt that God actually wanted their best.
• He planted a seed of his own idolatrous ambition to be as powerful as God.
• And he pointed out that going against God’s command would satisfy a simple, quick-fix desire for something tasty.

Satan built his traps, and through Adam and Eve, the world fell right in.

Poisoned. Sick. Broken.

Fast forward.

Fulfilling an incredible promise, Jesus—Who has always existed, the creative power of mighty God—came as a Son.

And what happened?

• He obeyed God, trusting His plan even when it led to the cross.
• He came as a servant, abandoning His place and His rights as God.
• And He refused every opportunity to take an easier way out or to compromise the Word of God in order to satisfy His flesh.

Jesus did what Adam and Eve could not do.

Jesus did what you and I could not do.

Because of the love He has for us, He took our sin and the punishment we deserve, and He replaced them with a miracle opportunity to become part of His family.

Joint heirs. Adopted by God.

Us. Can you believe it?

Satan had built a labyrinth of sin and disease; he’d manipulated and whispered and painted all his rot to look pretty.

And then Jesus came in like BOOM! He dismantled. Destroyed. Blew up. Everything the devil had built.

Jesus came as the answer to every point humanity had failed, and He came with a love that redeemed. Big enough to light up and echo through the millennia.

You want joy this Christmas? Real, lasting, soul-deep joy?

• Think about a devastated devil.
• Think about Jesus—the only One who could solve our sin problem.
• Think about a future built on His righteousness rather than our lack thereof.

Then, for literal Heaven’s sake, let’s pick up the gardener’s hats Adam and Eve dropped and get with that new commission, fam!

Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to light us up with the Gospel of Jesus Christ this day and this season and every moment until we see Him face to face.

When was the last time you thought about Christmas in terms of Jesus overcoming Satan's plans? Take a few minutes now and thank your Heavenly Father for those three reasons to rejoice!

Kaley Rhea is a St. Louis-area author and one half of the mother/daughter writing team behind Christy Award finalist novel Turtles in the Road (along with the hilarious Rhonda Rhea). Kaley also makes up one third of the writing team for the new, non-fiction book Messy to Meaningful: Lessons From the Junk Drawer (co-written with Rhonda Rhea and the fabulous Monica Schmelter). She’s unclear on how fractions work, but if Rhonda Rhea is the common denominator, Kaley is pretty sure that makes her like five-sixths of Monica Schmelter. Or something like that.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of chris-1974 at Pixabay.