The birth of Jesus is the vindication of hope. The faithful children of Abraham had been waiting for centuries for God to fulfill his promises. Of course, his promises seemed too good to be true and it had been hundreds of years since the Jewish people had returned after the exile. So, those who continued to believe the prophets seemed foolish and naive. However, as always does, he kept his word and vindicated those who loyally kept their hope in him. Followers of Jesus today find themselves in a similar period of waiting and one day our hope will be vindicated. (Scripture: Luke 1:67-80)

Hope cannot be exercised when we are comfortable and at ease. It is exercised when we are starving and famished, but are also joyfully confident that we be “satisfied as with fat and rich food.” In other words, we don’t hope for what we already have, but for what we know God will provide because of who he is and what he has promised. Hope has been trained by the ways God has delivered his people from such situations in the past that he will deliver us in the future. (Scripture: Psalm 63)

Hopeful people are often attacked by the cynical, who see the hopeful as “a leaning wall” or a “tottering fence.” They scoff and say things like, “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” (Psalm 22:8). If we’re not careful, we can take these cynical words to heart and believe that we are foolish for trusting in God. We can begin to put our hope in people, wealth, power, or position. Psalm 62 fortifies our hope against such assaults, reminding us, “God is my rock and my salvation.” (Scripture: Psalm 62)

Hope acknowledges the present reality, appreciates what God has done, and anticipates God working in similar ways in the future. Psalm 16 is a psalm of hope. David is likely in the midst of a challenging time. However, he is confident God will rescue him from death, because of the ways God has been faithful in the past. This psalm is quoted in reference to Jesus, “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption” (vs. 10). Though God fulfilled this anticipation in different ways for David and Jesus, he will never abandoned his people to death. (Scripture: Psalm 16)

Nearly everyone wants to experience peace, especially the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding. We want this peace guarding our hearts and minds. However, sometimes we fail to do what Paul told the Philippians to do in order to have this peace. It begins with this command, “Rejoice.” How can, “Rejoice” be a command? How can we rejoice “always,” in every circumstance? What if we don’t feel joyful? Rejoicing, even when we don’t feel like it, is often the secret to feeling the joy and the peace we long to feel. (Philippians 4:4-9)

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:1-58

Receiving God’s gift of salvation and “working it out” in our lives includes eliminating grumbling and disputing. When we are committed to being obedient children of God, who obey with joy an unity, we stand out like stars shining in the night sky. If we recognize that this generation is just as “crooked and twisted” as it was in the first century, then we must commit ourselves to joyful obedience. Few things will cause the church to stand out as much as a grateful life. (Scripture: Philippians 2:12-18)

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:1-14:40

Paul wrote the book of Philippians from prison. How would you feel if you were imprisoned unjustly? Paul actually expressed gratitude for his imprisonment. This attitude of gratitude helped him to see the good things God was doing through his circumstances. If Paul was angry and bitter about his situation, he might not have seen that his persecution was able to help “advance the gospel.” When we decide to give thanks in all circumstances, it opens our eyes to the good things God is doing all around. (Scripture: Philippians 1:12-18)

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34