Symbols
of Hope
Scripture: 11 For I know the
plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans
to give you hope and a future.12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
Jeremiah 29:11-12
This
time of year when I sense the approach of Advent, I always find myself
wondering what hope looks like. Is it a
baby? A hero? An idea?
Something unseen? Something
within each of us? How do we lose
hope? How do we find it? What do we hope for?
God
promised hope to those who seek. God is
the play write and only God knows the
way the scene begins and ends. Hope was,
is and is to come as was written in the script.
David Wilcox, singer song writer, inspired me by singing this, “Though
there is evil cast around us, it is love that wrote the play and in the
darkness love will show the way.”
Finding
hope is not something we have the ability to do. It is the God note within us that resonates
with itself. In the same way a voice
finds harmony with a note plucked, so is hope within the heart of a human soul. God strums the string of hope during
Advent. Our hearts respond by hearing
the harmony and resonating the note back to God. The song of hope plays all year long, but it
is amplified during Advent.
I
love symbolism in beautiful writing. I
like looking for symbolism in my own life.
I have no doubt that the author of my faith has penned an amazing amount
of symbolism in my life. At times it has
been clearer to me than others. I have
found meaning in nature through fog, butterflies, deer, and even frogs. I have seen God in movies, heard God in
music, and felt God in relationship. Yet
I know that there must be many symbols I have missed.
My
quest in this season of Christ’s coming is to be more aware of the symbols of
hope, peace, love and joy that God places in my script. What things has God written into the scene to
remind me of His grace? Where will God
be revealed next? That is where our hope
will come from. That is where peace is
found. That is where joy resides. Can you hear it? God’s love song is being played, sing along
in harmony.
Prayer Tip: Daily seek to find symbols of God's call to prayer. When you see something that grabs your attention, stop and pray.
Prayer: Harmonious God, thank you for plucking the
string of my faith. May your song of
hope and joy resonate within me during Advent.
Give me eyes to see all the symbols of your love and grace. May your song of love be played with my hands
as I reach out with that hope, peace, joy and love into the world. Amen.
