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DID SOMEONE SAY HOPE?

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Renewed Hope in God This Christmas


According to a November 28, 2023 study by Dean Talbot of the WordsRated Report, on average, a person hears between 20,000 and 30,000 words per day. This translates to approximately 20 to 30 words per minute during waking hours. Imagine how many times we hear phrases like, “I hope I get this or that for Christmas.” Based on this average, such a phrase could be heard 20 to 30 times in a single day. The repetition of these words reminds us that hope is deeply embedded in human life. We hope for gifts, for opportunities, for change, for better days. Yet, in the midst of all the words we hear and speak, the most important hope we can hold onto is the hope that comes from God, through the gift of Jesus Chrust birth. Isn't written in Luke 2:11-14, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (12) And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. (13) And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, (14) Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."


So, what is hope? Hope is more than wishful thinking or a fleeting desire. Hope is the confident expectation that something good will come, even when circumstances suggest otherwise. It is the anchor of the soul, steadying us when storms rage and uncertainty surrounds us. Hebrews 6:19 declares, “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.” Hope is not blind optimism; it is rooted in faith, in the assurance that God is working all things together for our good. Romans 8:28 reminds us, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” This is the foundation of true hope, the belief that God is sovereign, faithful, and intentional in His dealings with us.


Christmas is the season when hope took on flesh and dwelt among us. Read, John 1:1-5. Jesus Christ came into the world as the embodiment of hope for all humanity. The angel’s announcement to the shepherds was not simply news of a baby’s birth; it was the proclamation of hope breaking into a hopeless world. “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10). Jesus came as hope for the whole world, hope for the broken, hope for the weary, hope for the sinner, hope for the nations. His birth was God’s declaration that darkness would not prevail, that sorrow would not have the final word, and that redemption was available to all who believe.


During the Christmas season, we often find ourselves asking for many things. Children hope for toys, adults hope for peace in their families, workers hope for rest, and communities hope for justice. These desires are not wrong, but they can distract us from the greater gift we should be seeking. Out of all the times we ask for things, let us ask God to renew our hope in Him. Psalm 71:14 says, “But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.” Hope in God is not seasonal; it is eternal. It is the kind of hope that sustains us when gifts fade, when jobs change, when governments falter, and when relationships are tested.


Hope in God reminds us that He is able to work things out for our good, even when we cannot see the outcome. It teaches us to trust His timing, to rest in His promises, and to believe that His plans are higher than ours. Isaiah 40:31 declares, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Hope whispers to us in the midnight hour that joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5 assures us, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Hope assures us that though we may walk through valleys, we will not walk alone. Psalm 23:4 comforts us, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.” Hope declares that Christ has overcome the world, and because He lives, we can face tomorrow. And we should never give up hope that lives will change. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”


This Christmas, let us pause amid the noise of 20,000 to 30,000 daily words and listen for the one Word that matters most: Jesus, the Living Word, who came to renew our hope. John 1:14 proclaims, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.” Let us ask God to refresh our hearts with hope that does not disappoint, hope that endures beyond the season, hope that anchors us in His love. Romans 5:5 assures us, “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” May our prayer be simple yet profound: “Lord, renew my hope in You. Teach me to trust Your promises, to rest in Your presence, and to rejoice in Your salvation.”


As we celebrate the time set aside to honor the birth of Christ, let us remember that hope is not found under the tree but in the manger. Hope is not wrapped in paper but in swaddling clothes. Hope is not temporary but eternal. And this hope, Jesus Christ, is for the whole world.


Now, what do I hope to get for Christmas? Email me and let me know at Info@hogckd.org


Bishop Charlene M. Jamison

Written: 11/13/25 - all rights reserved


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A BIBLE STUDY TITLED: "Hope: The Bridge Between Today’s Pain and Tomorrow’s Promise”

TEXT: Psalm 27:13–14, "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."


Life often feels like a tension between what we are enduring today and what we are longing for tomorrow. Pain, disappointment, and uncertainty are realities we cannot escape. Families wrestle with brokenness, communities struggle with division, and individuals carry burdens that seem too heavy to bear. Yet, in the midst of these struggles, Scripture reminds us that hope is not a fragile wish, it is a bridge. Hope connects the weight of today’s pain with the assurance of tomorrow’s promise.


The Bible declares in Romans 8:18, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” This verse paints hope as a bridge that spans the gap between suffering and glory. Hope does not deny pain; it gives pain purpose. Hope does not erase trials; it empowers us to endure them with expectation.


Hope is the confident assurance that God is at work, even when circumstances seem dark. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” That “expected end” is tomorrow’s promise, and hope is the bridge that carries us there.


When we feel overwhelmed, hope whispers the truth of Psalm 30:5: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” The night may be long, but hope assures us that morning is coming. When we feel weak, hope strengthens us with Isaiah 40:31: “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”


This lesson invites us to see hope not as a distant concept but as a daily practice. Hope is the bridge we walk across every day, trusting God’s promises, leaning on His Word, and expecting His faithfulness to carry us from pain to promise.


LET DIVE INTO THE LESSON WITH THE HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE ENRICHED BY IT:


1. Understanding Biblical Hope


Romans 8:24–25, "For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it."


Hebrews 6:19, "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil."


Romans 5:5, "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."


Lamentations 3:21–24, "This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him."


Think On These Things: Hope is not wishful thinking, it is confident expectation rooted in God’s promises. It steadies the soul like an anchor and renews strength when we recall His mercies.


2. Foundations of Hope in God


Numbers 23:19, "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?"


Isaiah 40:28–31, "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."


Psalm 62:5–8, "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah."


1 Peter 1:3–5, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."


Think On These Things: Hope rests on God’s unchanging character, His promises, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.


3. Enemies of Hope and How to Guard It


Proverbs 13:12, "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life."


Matthew 24:12–13, "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."


Psalm 42:5, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance."


Hebrews 10:23, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised)."


Think On These Things: Delays, deception, and discouragement can weaken hope, but Scripture teaches us to speak to our soul, endure, and hold fast to God’s promises.


4. Applying Hope in Your Daily Journey


Romans 12:12, "Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer."


Philippians 4:6–7, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."


Isaiah 26:3–4, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength."


Psalm 130:5–6, "I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning."


Colossians 3:1–2, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."


Think On These Things: Hope is applied daily through rejoicing, prayer, waiting, and fixing our minds on God’s promises.


5. Hope in Trials and Long Waiting


James 1:2–4, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."


Romans 15:13, "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."


2 Corinthians 4:16–18, "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."


Psalm 27:13–14, "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."


Think On These Things: Trials refine hope, teaching us endurance and shifting our focus from temporary struggles to eternal glory.


Spiritual Nugget for Direction and Encouragement:


“Fix your expectation on God, fasten your heart to His promises, and frame your day with praise.”


1 Peter 1:13, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”


Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).”


Psalm 71:14, “But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.”


POINT OF EMPOWERMENT: Begin and end each day with one promise from Scripture spoken aloud. Let praise be your sound and hope your stance.


Bishop Charlene M. Jamison

Written: 11/22/25 - all rights reserved


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