Advent Week 1: Hope in the Darkness

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

As we enter the first week of Advent, we remember the hope we have in Jesus. For centuries, the Israelites heard prophecies of a coming Messiah—one who would deliver them. Hope Then

The Old Testament is filled with a deep sense of expectancy and waiting. Through slavery in Egypt, unfaithful kings and exile in Babylon, Israel’s hope rested in who God was and his promise that he would send a Messiah.

Even in Israel’s darkest moments, God spoke through His prophets, continually guiding, correcting, and reminding his people of his promises. But then came a long, unsettling silence. For 400 years. When Jesus finally arrived, Israel lived under Roman rule, longing for their Messiah to deliver them. Many expected Jesus to overthrow Rome, but he came to deliver us from something far greater and far more oppressive than any earthly empire. Jesus came to deliver from the power of sin, death, and Satan. Hope Now

Today, we have the privilege of living on the other side of Christ’s first coming. We know our Messiah has come. Yet even with this assurance, it can still be easy to lose hope—both in Jesus’ promise to return and that he is still at work in our lives right now. 

Throughout the Old Testament, Israel repeatedly lost sight of their hope too. Their words and actions revealed where their confidence truly rested. Even though they knew God’s promises and had seen his continual faithfulness with their own eyes, they complained, doubted, and chose their own ways.

In our own world of instant gratification, we face the same temptation. When life doesn’t change quickly, when prayers seem unanswered, or when suffering lingers, our hope can weaken.

But Scripture shows us that God understands our human tendency to forget.

That’s why God instructed Israel to create physical reminders of his faithfulness. One example was at the Jordan River, where Joshua told the people to set up twelve stones so future generations would ask, “What do these stones mean?” (Joshua 4:1–7). The stones were a testimony: God was with them then—and would be with them always. Remember

We may not stack literal stones today, but we can practice the spiritual discipline of remembrance. Look back on moments where God’s faithfulness was visible and evident in your life. These memories anchor our hope and strengthen our faith as we wait on the Lord in difficult seasons and joyful seasons. 

Advent reminds us that God keeps His promises—he did through the birth of his Son, Jesus, and he will again when Christ returns. Our hope is not optimism or wishful thinking. It is a confident expectation grounded in who our God is (Hebrews 10:23).

As we begin this Advent season, may we remember that the same God who kept his promise to send Jesus is the same God who keeps his promises to us today.  Kali Gibson is the editor-in-chief for So We Speak and a copywriter for the Youversion Bible App.