This month we’re incorporating Advent into our discussions!
Philippians: Shine Like Stars – DAY 48
Family Discussions for Advent
[This post can be read aloud in 6 1/2 min.]
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DAY 48/MONDAY
Philippians 2:14-16
Hope in the Word
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16as you hold firmly to the word of life.”
Philippians 2:14-16 (NIV)
*Click here to read the ESV, NLT, & CSB.
This month we’re going to follow along with the weekly themes of Christmas Advent — hope, peace, joy, love, & Christ — in light of our Philippians focus verses above.
May our families shine like stars as we hold firmly to the word of life this Christmas celebration season!
Advent: Hope
Hope through the Word
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
Romans 15:4 (NIV)
Q: Why was “everything that was written in the past” written?
A: To teach us
Q: What is “everything that was written in the past”?
A: The Scriptures
Q: What is “taught in the Scriptures”?
A: Endurance (the ability to withstand hardship or adversity; especially, the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity)
Q: What do the Scriptures provide?
A: Encouragement (being inspired to courage & infused with confidence)
*vocabulary.com; merriam-webster.com
Q: What might Christians have through this endurance taught in the Scriptures & encouragement provided by the Scriptures?
A: Hope
Hope — confident expectation of a future good or a good future — is available to all Christians through the Holy Scriptures, the Word of God.
Hope — confident expectation of a future good or a good future — is available to all Christians through the Holy Scriptures, the Word of God.
Hope in the Word
“Never take Your word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in Your laws.”
Psalm 119:43 (NIV)
To obtain hope through the word, we must put our hope in the word. How does that work? You probably guessed it: It’s definition time!
Defining Hope
hope (transitive verb):
| 1. to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment |
| 2. to expect with confidence : trust |
hope (noun):
| 1a. desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment; also, expectation of fulfillment or success |
| 1b. someone or something on which hopes are centered |
| 1c. something desired or hoped for |
| 2. (archaic) trust or reliance |
The Word of God is something:
- on which our hopes can be centered;
- through which we can confidently expect fulfillment of godly desires;
- we can trust in and rely on.
Hope of the Psalmists
“Remember Your word to Your servant, for You have given me hope.”
Psalm 119:49 (NIV)
Six times in the Psalms the psalmist specifically writes of hope in the Word. Not surprisingly, five of those are found in Psalm 119 which is all about God’s Word.
“May those who fear You rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in Your word.”
Psalm 119:74 (NIV)
When you put your hope in the Word of God, other people will notice. Those who fear the Lord will actually rejoice when they see you because of it! Have you experienced this? I have. It gives me great joy to speak to and be with brothers- and sisters-in-Christ who also put their hope in the Word! I pray my hope in Scripture has been the cause of rejoicing for others.
“My soul faints with longing for Your salvation, but I have put my hope in Your word.”
Psalm 119:81 (NIV)
Sometimes it is haaaarrrrd to wait for salvation, whether it is being saved from hardship while we remain in this world or the ultimate salvation from this world, and from sin, and from death, through Christ. The psalmist says his “soul faints with longing,” but he has put his hope in the Word. Holding firmly to the Word of life helps us wait in the hardest of times!
Refuge
“You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in Your word.”
Psalm 119:114 (NIV)
refuge: a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble; something providing shelter
*Oxford Languages via Google
My favorite place to read the Bible & write in my journal is a comfy chair in our living room. Curled up in that chair, under a blanket in winter or with the ceiling fan spinning fiercely overhead in summer, I feel safe, secure, protected — it’s a place of refuge. The Word is a place of refuge for the believer because it reveals the truth about our God to us. It is our shield in every spiritual battle. We can put our hope in that.
“I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in Your word.”
Psalm 119:147 (NIV)
Confession: For those of you who don’t know, I am not and have never been a morning person, as far as I can remember. I like busting out Proverbs 27:14 when I’m around bright & cheery morning people: “If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.” 😉
If “I rise before dawn and cry for help,” I am desperate — things are seriously wrong in my world! When believers are desperate, we can put our hope in His Word. His Word is a help and a comfort in our most desperate situations.
“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.”
Psalm 130:5 (NIV)
When we put our hope in His Word, we can wait for the Lord with our whole being. Think about that for a minute — your whole being. It reminds me of the greatest commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength” (Mark 12:30). If I can love Him with all of me, I can wait for Him with all of me. If I love Him, I will wait for Him, and I will hope in His Word.
God of Hope
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
Romans 15:4 (NIV)
We started our discussion today with Romans 15:4; we’re ending with 15:13.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13 (NIV)
This is my prayer for your family today! Amen.
DAY 48/MONDAY Prayer
Father God,
Thank You for Your Word. Help us put our hope in it, so our family can pray with the psalmists.
Together, we pray:
“Remember Your word to Your servant, for You have given me hope” (Psalm 119:49). “May those who fear You rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in Your word” (Psalm 119:74).
“My soul faints with longing for Your salvation, but I have put my hope in Your word” (Psalm 119:81). “You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in Your word” (Psalm 119:114).
“I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in Your word” (Psalm 119:147). “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope” (Psalm 130:5).
God of hope, fill us with all joy & peace as we trust in You, so that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
DAY 48: Paul told the Philippians to hold firmly to the word of life. The first week of Christmas Advent is hope. Let's hope in the word.