Hope Carried in the Stories

Advent Devotional Week 1–HOPE

By Kaye Saxon

Romans 15:4 GNT

4 Everything written in the Scriptures was written to teach us, in order that we might have hope through the patience and encouragement which the Scriptures give us.

Hebrews 10:23 GNT

23 Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise. 

Isaiah 40:31 NIV

31 but those who hope in the Lord    
will renew their strength. 
They will soar on wings like eagles;    
they will run and not grow weary,    
they will walk and not be faint.

Hope Carried in the Stories

When I sat down to consider hope and what it means to me, I thought I’d first see what the world thought it meant.  I found a few popular dictionaries that generally defined it first as a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen, even a belief that it would happen.  But both of these sources listed their second meaning as (ARCHAIC) and defined them as a feeling of trust and reliance.

It may seem a slight difference, but I couldn’t shake this idea that it was now seen as archaic to define hope using words like trust or reliance.   Both of these words imply an assurance you can count on, something you can build on, and stand on. 

Scriptures tell us, the stories of the saints tell us, our stories tell us that with confidence, we can trust our God.  We can put our hope in God.  We can follow the One that performs the miracles, that talks through signs and wonders, who has saved us from death, and in confidence know that what He has said is true, over and over and over.  And if He has done it once, He can do it again.  Redeem, save, heal and deliver, counsel, provide; all these He has done and will do.  We can trust with confidence because His words and actions have proven this over and over.

I remember when my 18-month-old grandson was literally facing death’s door.  He had been diagnosed with Severe Idiopathic Aplastic Anemia in early December of 2018.  In the midst of that, in January 2019 they discovered his appendix had ruptured.   In February of 2019 he received a stem cell transplant via his older sister who was a perfect match (God is good).   As I write this now it seems only a quick few months.  But at the time, every day felt like an absolute eternity. 

Almost simultaneously in Redding, CA at Bethel Church another story was unfolding:

A little boy in Bethel’s church, Jaxon, had a kidney which got infected by E.coli virus and he had to have blood transfusions and go on dialysis. Because of this, Jaxon’s parents reached out to their community for prayer and support. A few days before Christmas, Jonathan and Melissa Helser received a text from their friends Joel and Janie Taylor that their son Jaxon was in a critical condition and they didn’t think the child would make it.

“As soon as I got that text, I felt like this giant of unbelief stood in front of me,” Jonathan Helser said. “I thought Jaxon’s going to die tonight, we’re not going to see the miracle.” But something indescribable happened to the Helsers, while they were praying for a miracle. A song suddenly came out of their mouths and they started to sing a powerful declaration against the giant Jaxon was facing.

I raise a hallelujah, in the presence of my enemies 
I raise a hallelujah, louder than the unbelief 
I raise a hallelujah, my weapon is a melody 
I raise a hallelujah, heaven comes to fight for me

Worship, a powerful weapon

They made worship a powerful weapon against the forces of the enemy. Their hymn of praise became louder than unbelief. A lot of friends visited Jaxon and his sister Addie who was also diagnosed with the same infection. And they kept on declaring the song over them. After medical treatment and countless prayers, the Taylors received a miracle from God. Jaxon and Addie were able to go home, healthy.”

(God TV)

Well, here in Alaska, for me, the timing of this song and its testimony gave me hope.  Their story gave me the foundation to stand with firm footing on the goodness of God, on answers to prayer, on the value of worshiping God when what your eyes see doesn’t match what your heart believes and desires.  I stood on that testimony and sang it with all of my heart, proclaiming it day after day.  I held on firmly to the hope this song and this testimony professed.  I declared this same testimony over my grandchild.  I trusted God with His promises.  My hope was in Him.  I can’t imagine walking through that without hope and especially without hope in the love of my Father for my grandson.  He has recovered.  Four years later, he remains healthy.  Praise God.

Our stories, His stories, bring hope.  Hope that both sustains and propels us.  Don’t hesitate in the sharing of His stories, but also don’t hesitate in sharing your stories.   You are bringing His hope to the hopeless and to the weary.  You will help to renew their strength as they hear of the One, the Lord God, that they can trust with everything. 

Reflect:

What story of God’s goodness in my life do I have to share that might bring hope to those around me? What story/testimony can I hold on to right now to stir up hope in my life?

Let’s pray:

Lord, I thank you for your promises and for your word.  I thank you that I can be encouraged over and over through scripture by who you are, your promises and your love for me.   I thank you that I can trust you, with all of me, and that your promises never fail.  Thank you, Lord, for how you are faithful to work in the lives of your people and that those stories teach me and bring hope to me.  I trust you.  My hope is in you.  Help me to have eyes and ears to see and hear my own story.  And give me the confidence to share the hope in those stories with the hopeless, so that you may be glorified and they would have their strength renewed, they would soar higher, in their confidence in you.  Amen