Waiting with Hope and Joy
"But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days." - Micah 5:2
When Isaac Watts finished writing "Joy to the World," he wrote at the top of the page: “The Messiah’s Coming and Kingdom.” That was the heart of the song, the anticipation of Christ’s return, a message that resonates deeply during this Advent season. Advent is all about waiting, all about anticipating something greater, and right now, we are in that season of waiting for the second coming of Jesus.
Just like the children of Israel waited for God to fulfill His promises over 2,000 years ago, we are waiting today for God to complete His mission in Advent number two. We wait with hope because we know our God is a promise-keeping God. He has been faithful before, and He will be faithful again.
In Micah 5:2, God promised that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, a small and humble place, but He would be a ruler over Israel. In Isaiah 7:14, He promised that a virgin would conceive and give birth to a son, who would be called Immanuel, God with us. These promises were made long before Jesus arrived, but God kept every single one of them.
We are no longer waiting for the Savior to come, as they did in the first Advent. That promise has already been fulfilled in Jesus’ birth, His life, death, and resurrection. But now, we are waiting for our King to return, to complete His work, and to bring ultimate peace and justice. And as we wait, we wait with joy, because we know that the God who kept His promises then will keep them now.
As you wait for Christ’s return, remember that your waiting is filled with hope. We have the joy of knowing that the Savior is coming again, and His kingdom will be established forever. Remember that Christ is coming back—and that’s reason enough to rejoice!
When Isaac Watts finished writing "Joy to the World," he wrote at the top of the page: “The Messiah’s Coming and Kingdom.” That was the heart of the song, the anticipation of Christ’s return, a message that resonates deeply during this Advent season. Advent is all about waiting, all about anticipating something greater, and right now, we are in that season of waiting for the second coming of Jesus.
Just like the children of Israel waited for God to fulfill His promises over 2,000 years ago, we are waiting today for God to complete His mission in Advent number two. We wait with hope because we know our God is a promise-keeping God. He has been faithful before, and He will be faithful again.
In Micah 5:2, God promised that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, a small and humble place, but He would be a ruler over Israel. In Isaiah 7:14, He promised that a virgin would conceive and give birth to a son, who would be called Immanuel, God with us. These promises were made long before Jesus arrived, but God kept every single one of them.
We are no longer waiting for the Savior to come, as they did in the first Advent. That promise has already been fulfilled in Jesus’ birth, His life, death, and resurrection. But now, we are waiting for our King to return, to complete His work, and to bring ultimate peace and justice. And as we wait, we wait with joy, because we know that the God who kept His promises then will keep them now.
As you wait for Christ’s return, remember that your waiting is filled with hope. We have the joy of knowing that the Savior is coming again, and His kingdom will be established forever. Remember that Christ is coming back—and that’s reason enough to rejoice!
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