Hope fills the heart

By joannsblog2016 on December 3, 2021 • ( 1 )

“The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom should I fear.”
Psalm 27:1

During Advent, we light our wreaths to fill the darkness in our world with the light of Christ. It is symbolic of the true light that Jesus will bring in a few weeks and reminds us of all that God promises us through the birth of His son – hope, love, joy and peace.

As we near the end of the first week of Advent, hope begins to fill our hearts. Today’s readings, Isaiah 29:17-24 and Matthew 9:27-31, are full of this hope.

In Matthew 9:27-31, two blind men approach Jesus, he lays his hands on their eyes and they are opened. Isn’t this what we embrace throughout Advent? That our eyes and our hearts will be open. That God will find the tiniest of cracks to shine His light, the deliverance of His son who brings new life and new hope to each of us.

God promises that “the deaf shall hear the words of a book and out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see.” (Isaiah 29:18)

Perhaps this message is for each of us today, not in the physical sense but in the spiritual sense. It is in allowing the light of Christ, the light of Advent, to open our ears and our hearts to hear and see all that God wants to reveal to us in the coming of His son, in the joy He wants us to experience as we embrace eternal peace that can only come from Christ’s birth.

I invite you to review your week.

Have you been afraid for any reason? Have you been anxious? Have you been struggling? Sit with any feelings you have been wrestling with that has overcome feelings of hope and joy.

Now, review your week, looking for the small moments of joy. Did you say something or do something that brought a smile or great joy to someone else? Did someone say something or do something for you that brought a smile or great joy to you? Did something you read or hear, bring a subtle peace upon you?

You may find that in the middle of those darker moments, there were little slivers of light breaking through. Rest in those small moments. Allow them to bring you hope as this week of Advent comes to a close.