Day 23 of Advent: Read: Luke 23

The reading today feels dark and devoid of hope. Jesus is put on trial with the entire religious community yelling for his crucifixion. The scoundrel, Barrabas, is released instead. Can the world get much darker than this? The One who ignited hope, who proclaimed the Good News, who announced the kingdom of God – is led away by ruthless men.

I can feel the hopelessness his followers experienced. Questions raged. Fear threatened. Hope vanished. And yet…

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.

Isaiah 9:2

Your way may seem dark and hopeless right now, but the light is here (Luke 2:32). The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot extinguish the light (John 1:5).

“And I still dare to hope when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”

Lamentations 3:21-24

It’s okay. Everything is going to be all right. Turn your eyes toward heaven and declare that the Lord is your HOPE!