As Advent begins, we’re reminded that this season isn’t about passive waiting. It’s about active, confident hope rooted in God’s faithfulness. This teaching unpacks the difference between wishful thinking and the kind of biblical hope Isaiah points us to in chapter 9. Into 700 years of darkness, God promised a child who would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. His arrival wasn’t optimism; it was certainty based on who God is.

The lighting of the hope candle points us back to every promise God has already fulfilled and forward to the reality that we live between two Advents. Christ has come, and Christ will come again. When life feels dark, when prayers seem unanswered, and when shadows feel heavy, we’re invited to look for glimpses of light that remind us our stories fit within God’s larger story. The darkness is real, but it isn't final. True hope rests not in our feelings but in God’s character, trusting that the One who stepped into our world will finish what He began.