The Gift of Hope

We live in a world that grows darker and more hopeless by the day. People struggle with many mental health issues and feelings of worthlessness. We wonder how our current world has gotten to this point and how we can help others overcome their hopelessness.

As we anticipate the coming of Christmas and the possibilities of gifts we might receive, the greatest gifts we can expect are the ones God has already given us. One of the greatest divine gifts is the gift of hope.

I interact with people who are in prison as well as those coming out of prison. Most of those who are in prison have grown up in very difficult situations and without much hope in their lives. I have found that one of the most important things that our ministry can do is to help them find hope for a better future.

How does hope help people raised in dysfunctional homes and who have made poor choices in life to seek a better future? Hope helps us to cope with adversity better; it also helps us to take more positive actions. Hope helps us make wiser choices and take action, and empowers us to work toward a better future.

Where do we find hope? We find hope in God's promises in the Scriptures. As we choose to receive hope as a gift from God and begin to unwrap it, we find that hope is a choice, not a feeling. It is a choice to take God at His Word, believing that we are who God says we are and not the poor choices we have made in the past.

As we focus on the truth of God’s Word and realize how He sees us, we can build upon that truth as we seek daily to make better choices that align with His Word and His plan for our lives.

As we continue to unwrap this divine gift, we realize that hope shapes our perspective, our actions, and our overall well-being. This gift propels us toward a better future that more closely aligns with the future that God has planned for each of us.

As we continue to unwrap the gift of hope, we find that one of the wrappings is gratitude. As we focus on all that God has done for us and express our gratitude to Him, it lifts our spirits, boosts our mood, and helps us to receive this wonderful gift of hope.

Some of the symbols of hope we find that remind us that hope is a gift from God are the dove with the olive branch in her mouth that came back to Noah, signifying that the earth was beginning to recover from the flood. Another is when we see a rainbow after a storm and remember that God has promised never to flood the entire earth again. Another is the anchor that reminds us that our eternal hope is found in Jesus Christ and the gift of eternal life that He offers to each of us.

These are just some of the things that help us realize that if we make wise choices and take wise actions that align with the truths of the Word, the probability of us gaining the future we hope for is greater.

As you prepare for the celebration of the birth of our Savior, think about how His birth brings hope to a world that truly needs to know why He came and that His sacrifice for us provides the greatest gift we can ever receive.

Romans 15:13 tells us, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” My prayer for you this Christmas is that you will take the time to fully unwrap the gift of hope, and as you do, you will be prompted to give glory to the one who gives us that gift.

This devotional was written by Anna Schaefer, the Prison Ministry Associate at First Baptist Dallas.

Two Questions for Thought:

1. Are you making time regularly to study and memorize God’s Word? The Holy Spirit can only call to mind the Scriptures that we have committed to memory.
2. What Scriptures can you think of that tell you how God sees you and that bring you hope as you consider that the way God sees us is so different than the way we see ourselves?

Daily Challenge:

Think of ways you can be a catalyst of hope in the coming year, such as acts of service, a kind word, a note of encouragement, or simply a smile and a warm greeting for someone who needs to find hope.