HOPE

Christmas is a holiday full of hopes - hopes of family reconciliations, hopes of picture-perfect celebrations, hopes of getting certain presents. Some of our hopes are fulfilled; others are not. But hoping in God is always a sure bet; people will let us down, but He never will. Let's look at what the word of God has to say about hope.

(Psalm 33:18 NNAS) "Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness,"

(Job 13:15 NNAS) "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.

(Psalm 71:5 NNAS) "For You are my hope; O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth."

(Psalm 130:7 NNAS) "O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption."

(Proverbs 23:18 NNAS) "Surely there is a future, And your hope will not be cut off."

(Jeremiah 29:11 NNAS) "'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."

(Romans 8:24-25 NNAS) "For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it."

(Hebrews 6:19-20 NNAS) "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."

(1 Peter 1:13 NNAS) "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

(1 John 3:2-3 NNAS) "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."