Hope Found

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’ … And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people he [Herod] began to inquire of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it was written by the prophet: ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah: for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” Matthew 2: 1-6.

by Mariah Stevenson on January 1, 2023

So often in our quest for Hope, our source is misguided. We place our hope in the next election result, the next law passed by Congress, the next decision of the Supreme Court, the next promotion, the next relationship, the next test result, or the next few pounds shed to lighten the scale. And while these “nexts” may be beneficial, they never satisfy us very long. They do not satisfy because they do not last. Our human condition is to find Hope in a result, but perhaps God asks us to seek Hope in a person. And a process – His process.

God’s ways are mysterious. They are contrary to the ways of this world. He uses the weak and foolish things to shame the strong and wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). God’s greatest Hope was born in an insignificant town in the weakest human form possible.

But God knows we are slow to learn.

We live in a small neighborhood tucked off a major thoroughfare. If you blink, you’ll drive right past it. Down a winding single-lane road, weaving round bends and over streams, friends often think they are lost, that I couldn’t possibly live down this road.

The three wise men were looking for the King of the Jews, and being wise, they looked in the most likely of places in the Holy City, Jerusalem. When they got the proper directions to Bethlehem with a little help from God’s Positioning System, or “GPS” (Micah 5:2), I wonder what they thought as they made their way. Did they look around at one another wondering if they were going the right way?

As they moved farther and farther from the Holy City, I wonder if they looked around and thought, “Really?!? Bethlehem?!? Are you sure??” So much time had passed since the foretelling of a coming King, and the world was such a mess. The need for Hope was desperate – as it often is – and I imagine they were looking for an awesome elaborate place in answer to their need, not a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. Did they question themselves? Did they question God’s process?

But God does big things in small ways.

Often, we stop short, as the wise men did, pausing in Jerusalem to seek Hope in that place before continuing to Bethlehem. We settle for the passing hope found in the riches of the world instead of digging deeper to pursue the perpetual Hope found in the humble Christ child. We seek and settle for hope in the temporal instead of the eternal.

Everlasting Hope is found in the saving grace of Jesus Christ who was born a babe to save and lived to die for our sins. He is the Hope God promised since the beginning, and the Hope found by the wise men in the tiny town of Bethlehem. Have you found Him? If you have, have you placed perpetual Hope in Him? Before a resolution is made or your “New Year, New You” goals have been set, seek first His kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are a God of fulfilled promises and everlasting Hope. May we seek you and find you as the source of our Hope in a fallen and crazy world. Remind us to fix our eyes on you and not the temporary promises of this world. Thank you for sustaining us and surprising us with the mysteriousness of your ways. May we always treasure the wonder of this season, trusting in the Perpetual Hope of Jesus Christ, your Son.

May the God of HOPE fill you with all JOY and PEACE in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in HOPE  (Romans 15:13 emphasis added).

Additional Reading: Matthew 2: 7-10; John 1:35-45.