Luke 1:49-55
For the Mighty One is holy,
    and he has done great things for me.
He shows mercy from generation to generation
    to all who fear him.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
    He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes from their thrones
    and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
    and sent the rich away with empty hands.
He has helped his servant Israel
    and remembered to be merciful.
For he made this promise to our ancestors,
    to Abraham and his children forever.”

Today is a continuation of yesterday’s devotional, “What Messy Hope, Part 1”.

“…May we remember, may we believe
In such darkest night, our God would send redemption
May we remember, may we believe,
Jesus Christ, The King, from Heaven, our salvation
In such darkest night, a ray of hope, the word made flesh
From the wilderness, a cry, prepare the way, our king arrived!
For his death was not the end, and his blood poured out new life
King Jesus, our salvation, come and be with us again”

Advent is a chance for us to take a deep breath, jump, and dive into the reality of the wait. The segments of the song above are both a call to remember, and a prayer. I believe this is the very thin tension of hope. We reflect on God’s faithfulness, and fall to our very knees in worship to that baby boy who would one day fulfill the scriptures, but we also groan alongside creation; with bodies that fail, and hearts that forget. To that end, hope is quietly in-between remembrance, and an often messy trust. Through tears of joy or sorrow, hope is this prayer:

“King Jesus, our salvation, come and be with us again”

Take a moment to sit still. Breathe in and out. From the place of stillness, consider these questions:

• Can you recall an event when you were very aware of the Lord's faithfulness in your life? 
• If so, what was the situation and what do you feel He was telling you through that situation?