Since the dawn of time, humanity has needed hope. The first people on the earth were Adam and Eve, who, like us, were created for a relationship with our Heavenly Father, The God Who created us. This relationship was once perfect but was soon tainted by Adam and Eve’s choices against God’s standards. They chose to disobey even though God told them of the vast wealth they had to eat and enjoy in the Garden of Eden, their home. Instead, they ate what was forbidden: the Tree of the Knowledge of Evil. As a result, that sacred relationship with God was destroyed by sin. We can see the evidence of sin in our broken world from Adam until today.
So, broken relationships had to be restored, but nothing of our efforts could accomplish this. It was only through God’s mercy and grace in Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ lived on this earth for thirty-three years. He testified to Pilate before His crucifixion,
“…37 You say that I am a king. For this purpose, I was born, and for this purpose, I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” ~John 18:37-38.
The Hebrew word “emmet” means “the whole truth” and is formed with 3 Hebrew letters:
The 1st – Aleph, 14th – Nun, and the last – Omega, to signify that the whole truth is necessary from the beginning, middle, and end for the truth to be established.
No element of compromise.
No shades of grey.
No “white” lie we use to cover up our guilt.
Truth is not just one small piece of the picture; if any part of the truth is left out, it wouldn’t be true. Anything left incomplete can lead to deception.
God is in the details of everything He has created, even language.
So how do you respond to Jesus, who called Himself “the way, the truth, and the life?” ~ John 14:6
What way are you following?
What truth are you embracing?
What kind of life are you living?
Our only hope is that Jesus, who satisfied the Father’s anger and made the entire payment for our sin, might restore us to a whole relationship with our Heavenly Father.
This Jesus humbled himself by coming as a child,
lived a sinless life,
emptied himself,
and willingly went to the cross so we might know and experience God in freedom.
The Advent wreath originated in German and Scandinavian homes, where one candle was lit for evening prayers during the first Sunday and another for each of the four weeks leading up to Christ’s birth. As the world gets darker approaching the winter solstice, there is increasing light as we anticipate celebrating Jesus Christ’s birth. The four candles symbolize hope, love, joy, and peace. These candles adorn our homes but are not an end in themselves.
Advent candles are a tool that points us to Jesus, the world’s true light who was, is, and is to come. The fact that the word hope is found over 300 times in the Bible shouts its importance.
May your relationship with God be restored through Jesus, and may you experience the fullness of hope that only He can give.
Blessings to you and yours during this Advent season!
Enjoy and share these Advent devotionals, one for each day and Christmas Day!
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Gleanings From Heaven's Gate 