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The first week of Advent focuses on the Hope we have in Christ. The birth of Jesus fulfills the promises of the Old Testament – the coming of a Savior! 
For generations, God responded to his people’s disobedience with grace – never abandoning them or wiping them out completely! Instead, He sent his Son to rescue, to wipe away every tear and give us Hope. On this side of the cross, we have the privilege of knowing Jesus through the Scriptures! Abraham and the faithful witnesses before us did not have that privilege. They simply walked forward in this Advent Hope of the arrival of their Savior and King.

The children’s Jesus Storybook Bible puts it this way: “… [God] rescued them – no matter what, time after time, over and over again – because of his Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love… God had always, all through the years, been loving his children – keeping his promise to Abraham, taking care of them, forgiving them. Even when they disobeyed. Even when they ran away from him. Even when they thought they didn’t need him…”
“I am going to send my Messenger – The Promised One. The One you have been waiting for. The Rescuer. He is coming. So, get ready!”

This week, may we renew our hope in Christ and prepare for the joy of His birth!

* Note: While Advent as a Church tradition is not specifically prescribed in Scripture, for years, faithful believers have sought to prepare their hearts for Christmas over these 4 weeks. Advent allows us to slow the pace in what has become such a hectic season in the West and fix our attention on the gift of Christ’s coming.*

~ Jillian Combs

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash