Hope When it Seems Hope is Lost (Advent) - Saturday, December 30

Hope When it Seems Hope is Lost - Saturday, December 30

"My soul has been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is. Then I thought: My future is lost, as well as my hope from the Lord."
Lamentations 3:17-18 (HCSB)

Lamentations is a book we typically don’t spend very much time in, especially at this time of the year with all its joy and festivities. Still, it helps to pause and remember the reason Jesus came in the first place.

Our world was, and is, steeped in sin and utterly corrupt. Without Christ, our future is lost as well as our hope. In reflecting this way, it helps to stay away from the sunshine and roses view of our walk with Christ. Of course, He brings us Good News, but it doesn’t mean that everything will be easy.

I had the very difficult challenge of conducting a funeral for a young man who had not reached 30 years of age. His family felt nearly the same way that our verse from Lamentations expressed thousands of years earlier. I know that many of my colleagues at Lutheran Indian Ministries have ministered in similar demanding times.  While the family’s feelings show the truth that we live in a fallen world full of appalling consequences, the story doesn’t end there. We may reflect on the reason Jesus came and did not abandon us! He came as a little baby, without power, and without rank, but He defeated the powers of sin, death, and the highest fallen angel, the devil.

We look to verses like this one to see it is not unusual for people of faith to have very serious trials in their earthly pilgrimage. At the same time, we rejoice that God doesn’t abandon us, that we have a Savior who has come to us and restored our hope and our future.

I thank you, my God, that you have sent Jesus into the world to defeat Satan and give me hope, peace, and a future with you. I pray you will help me share this message of peace and hope with someone going through a dark time. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Rev. Tim Norton
Navajo, New Mexico