Jesus was the hope for the world when He was born and He remains our hope today.   ~~~   Where would we be without hope? I don’t want to even imagine a world without hope. Though the days can get pretty dark and situations can feel hopeLESS, we always have HOPE. Hope rises, like beauty from the ash. We keep going. We get back up again. We take a step forward. We redeem this day. We believe there IS something more! Did you know, hope is directly linked to our faith or what we believe? You can’t have faith without hope, because faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) It’s all connected. I can’t help but think of this old hymn, “my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness, I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.” The hope I have for this day, tomorrow or any day is because I have faith IN and trust the one who holds it! It’s a fact Jack, as my Daddy would say. Jesus IS my hope. God loves me and His promises are true and He will keep every single one. That’s my hope. It’s what Christmas is all about. A promise fulfilled. A bright hope for tomorrow. Do you have hope today? I HOPE you do. God offers it as a gift for you to unwrap right now. You don’t even have to wait till Christmas. You may feel like giving up, but hold on, God is right there in the middle of your circumstance, wanting to make a way, wanting to give you peace and wanting to show you what true love really looks like. It’s God’s only son, given for you. 1 Peter 1:3-5 ​​Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. You can put your hope in a lot of things, but every single one will fade or fail, apart from Christ. Jesus never fails. IN Christ, you have a hope and a future that IS secure. Think about that for a minute. You are secure in Christ. He holds you. Nothing can separate you from His love and even death has lost its grip on you. When you believe that truth, you walk differently! You live differently! You are not your own. You are bought and paid for, forgiven and set free, made new, have a new purpose and no matter what may come, you stand FIRM on the solid rock of Jesus. My hope is IN the God of hope, who made a way for me. Romans 15:12-13 And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. He was the long awaited Messiah at His birth and today he is our blessed hope we joyfully watch and wait for to return. Jesus Christ IS my living hope. That’s the truth. Unwrap the gift of HOPE. It’s a gift that keeps on giving, because as you trust Him, you’ll have hope for each new day and joy and peace will follow. I’m Lori Cline.