Biblical hope isn't optimism or wishful thinking. It's something far more powerful. The Hebrew word "kavah" means to wait with tension, like a cord being pulled - actively intertwining your life with God's, saying "if You step, I'll step. If You wait, I'll wait."
This Advent season, we're challenged to ask ourselves: Will I be hopeful without all the answers? Will I choose hope when things aren't going to plan? When I'm in God's waiting room, will I stay until He calls my name?
Our hope isn't in circumstances, bank accounts, or even good vibes. Our hope has a name - Jesus. He came for ALL people: the lonely, the hurting, the broken, the confused, the ashamed. All means all.
Lighting a candle doesn't make darkness disappear instantly. It brings progressive illumination. Every day you choose hope, you light another candle. The darkness might still be there, but it's losing ground. One light at a time. One choice of hope at a time.
So return to your stronghold as a prisoner of hope. Stay in the waiting room. Don't leave before He calls your name. Because waiting isn't wasted - it's where hope is built.
"I wait for the Lord. My whole being waits. And in His word, I put my hope." - Psalm 130:5
