Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 (ESV)

Reflecting on the Advent Candle of Hope, I wonder how much skepticism could have happened with such a promise as a child conceived by a virgin. That world did not have the medical technology we have today. As far as those people knew, there was only one way to conceive a child, and saying the mother would be a virgin was a profoundly confusing statement to comprehend, let alone believe.

But God said it. And because the people of God had a powerful trust, a powerful hope in the promises of God, the choice to believe was a choice to be made despite the doubts.

Choice is vital to faith and hope. Then and now. As we take some time each day to read scripture, talk with God, and meditate on what Advent was and is about, we are constantly making choices.

Hope.

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, hope as a noun is defined:

: desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment

: someone or something on which hopes are centered

: something desired or hoped for

The Holman Bible Dictionary defines hope as:

Trustful expectation, particularly with reference to the fulfillment of God’s promises. Biblical hope is the anticipation of a favorable outcome under God’s guidance. More specifically, hope is the confidence that what God has done for us in the past guarantees our participation in what God will do in the future. 

Hope: A powerful thing that can define our sense of security, peace, and love in our individual and public environments.

May you light the Candle of Hope daily in your lives, knowing the power of God in His promises!