Hope College Devotions

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Titus 2:11–14

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There is a certain paradox in the Christian life that this brief passage from Paul’s letter to Titus throws into stark relief. It is that the Christian life is marked simultaneously by waiting and zealous action.

The grace of God has appeared in his incarnate Word and will appear again. For this we wait. And if our generation goes anything like the last hundred or so generations in human history, we will likely wait our entire lives. I hope you brought a magazine.

Actually, I hope you didn’t. Because in our waiting, Paul tells us, our call is not to kill time but to make the most of it (Ephesians 5:16); we are to be “zealous for good works.” Now this is a strange thing. What normally happens when we interact with a person who is waiting for something they really want? Talk to them. (Their mind is elsewhere.) Invite them out. (No, they’re… busy.) Change the subject. (What? No, sorry, they’re not listening, could you say that again?) Such a person is not present, but rather distracted. Life is on hold.

Waiting for Christ, though, produces the opposite effect. Christ has redeemed and purified a people for himself who pour themselves out for the life of the world. With zeal, friends. There’s nothing perfunctory about Christian discipleship. Of course, good works look different from disciple to disciple: some write elegant code, some diligently clean houses, some pray quietly for the world’s salvation. But none regard this earthly life as simply a decades-long waiting room to be endured before the main event.

“For You I wait all the day,” says the psalmist. Perhaps the essence of waiting for God is not so much inactivity as it is a change in our horizon, a relativizing of the things we thought this life was about. I thought I was waiting for my first car. My first job. My wedding. My first child. My retirement. (I may be glossing over all the naughty things that the Cretans surrounding Titus were waiting for, but the point still stands). But actually, all of these things were always secondary. I was waiting, I am waiting, and as long as I have breath I will always be waiting for “our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Dr. Joshua Kraut is an associate professor of French at Hope College.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Oh sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth!
Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth!

Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in his faithfulness.
Psalm 96

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Psalm 96 emphasizes that the Lord is deserving of our praise and adoration. It is in this recognition of the Lord’s majesty, goodness, and holiness that the Psalmist urges us, especially in this period of Advent, to sing his praise “among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

The meta-narrative of Advent is the believer’s recognition of the dynamics of giving that defines this aspect of our Christian lives — that God Almighty has given mankind a precious gift for our salvation, and that the gift in turn presents us with another gift, his own life. This double sense of giving that constitutes Advent must be predicated on reciprocity — the willingness of the receiver to prepare their hearts and make space for the gift to dwell in us. The concept of Emmanuel, God incarnate and dwelling among us, will only be meaningful when we create the space for him to abide with us and to do so “in the splendor of his holiness.” 

It is equally important for believers to appreciate the fact that Advent prefigures Calvary in the same way that the Resurrection foreshadows his Return. We celebrate Advent in anticipation and appreciation of the cross — the gift that the gift will give us for our salvation, and the anticipation of his return when the kingdom of heaven will come down to earth. 

And so as we anticipate the birth of our savior, let us be reminded that salvation occasioned by the shed blood of Christ transcends geographical borders, social categories, and every form of human classification. The Good News is that he died for Jews and Gentiles alike, so that by the Great Commission, we are required to spread the word, praise his name, proclaim his salvation, and declare his glory “among the nations [and] among all peoples, until he comes again in glory “to judge the earth.” Until then, “Let the heavens rejoice, [and] let the earth be glad.”

Dr. Ernest Cole is the John Dirk Werkman Professor of English at Hope College.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Romans 16:25–27

I remember only one thing from a half-year forestry class I took in high school: a goldfish died on my watch. 

My teacher announced one day that we had to prepare for the coming of a goldfish in about a week. He put us in groups and gave us materials that described how to care for a goldfish. We had to prepare a tank. We had to condition and aerate the water. When the fish arrived, we were supposed to acclimate the goldfish to the new environment by placing the bag of water with the fish in our tank, so that the temperature would equalize slowly. Otherwise, the fish might die from shock.

My group was not up to the task. We did get water in a tank and managed to prepare the water, but we forgot about acclimation. We opened the bag and poured the fish into our tank. Our teacher said nothing, but I could see the worry on his face. The next day, when we came to class, the goldfish had died, its body floating in the water. My teacher asked us what we learned. Four 16-year-old boys shrugged. He added, “Life happens under certain conditions, and it needs to be cared for.” Ok. Got it.

In these final words from the letter to the Romans, Paul is ecstatic that, in Jesus, God has unveiled a secret, a mystery, that God had kept close to the chest for long ages. God was active in creation for eons and spoke in Israel for hundreds of years before the big unveil of Jesus. Why did God take so long? Probably because God breaking into creation requires preparation and acclimation. Adam and Eve hid from a God who walked near them, which shows that God’s presence, especially God’s presence in the flesh, takes some getting used to. You might say that God, through those eons and years of prophecy, ever so slowly, put the colder water of creation into the warmer water of God’s life so that when the moment came, we wouldn’t die of shock. Instead, because God waited until we were ready, we can swim in, enjoy, and revel in God’s life in Christ. In fact, that’s the way to be acclimated for the next big reveal of Christ’s coming: to learn in thought, word and deed to enjoy God’s life in Christ now, because that’s what, in God’s mercy, we will be doing, as Paul says, “forever.” Amen.

Dr. Keith Starkenburg is the director of the Vita Scholars Program at Hope College and Western Theological Seminary and associate professor of theology and interim associate dean at Western Theological Seminary.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
John 1:6–8, 19–28

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The coming of Jesus has more witnesses than Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Okay, maybe not that many — but a lot. Every Gospel begins with accounts of witnesses. Matthew begins with the witnesses of genealogy, Mark with John the Baptist, Luke with his own reflection of witness, and finally the Gospel of John who introduces us to John the Baptist again — a witness to the Light.

Now, at first we’re not actually sure who this John is. The Pharisees give us some options though — running the list from greatest to least: The Christ? Elijah? a prophet? But it seems that he is simply a nameless “voice of one crying out in the wilderness” not even worthy to untie the sandal of the coming messiah. Not exactly the ideal way to set up a character — and certainly not one with such an auspicious message to deliver!

When I think about who John is in the story of the Bible, I’m reminded of a conversation I’ve been having with my 11-year-old.

We’ve been talking about how different characters function in comic book movies. Who are the heroes, the villains, and the ones you can just tell are going to get axed at some point in the movie? Currently, we’ve been having fun analyzing the characters whose roles are a little more blurry. The characters who’d rather not be in the story, the reluctant heroes, the anti-heroes, the innocents caught in the crossfire — will they live or die? John the Baptist is certainly one of these secondary characters. While he’s first out of the gates in the story, he also describes himself as one “not even worthy to untie the sandals” of the coming main character. Later on Jesus describes him as simultaneously “greater than all born of women” and “least in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 11:11).

I can just imagine the religious Pharisees trying to figure out who this John is. Is he a good guy? A bad guy? They just aren’t sure! But in classic literature types he is certainly the herald. The one who gets the story going. He also features as the character that bridges the old and the new — fading from the scene as Jesus literally emerges from the baptismal waters. But it’s always clear that John is never witnessing about himself but always pointing us, the reader, to Jesus — the Light of the World.

Who are the witnesses in your life to Jesus? Those that cut through the endless news cycle and social media noise to bring the unfettered peace of the King of Kings? This year for me it’s the advent poetry of British writer Malcolm Guite. Here is his sonnet meditating on the Emmanuel that helps me to see Christ afresh:

O Emmanuel
O come, O come, and be our God-with-us
O long-sought With-ness for a world without,
O secret seed, O hidden spring of light.
Come to us Wisdom, come unspoken Name
Come Root, and Key, and King, and holy Flame,
O quickened little wick so tightly curled,
Be folded with us into time and place,
Unfold for us the mystery of grace
And make a womb of all this wounded world.
O heart of heaven beating in the earth,
O tiny hope within our hopelessness
Come to be born, to bear us to our birth,
To touch a dying world with new-made hands
And make these rags of time our swaddling bands.

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Bruce Benedict is the chaplain of worship and arts for Hope College.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

“O Emmanuel” © Malcolm Guite. Used by permission of the author.

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Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.”

But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house.

“‘And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”
2 Samuel 7:1–11, 16

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In this Old Testament passage, we read one of God’s promises that will ultimately be fulfilled in the person of the God-man, Jesus Christ. God promises David that his throne will be established forever. We know Jesus fulfills this promise because that’s one of the things the angel Gabriel tells Mary during the Annunciation: “the Lord God will give to him [Jesus] the throne of his father David” (Luke 1:32).

What I find curious about this promise is the exchange in which it happens. In a dialogue with God that takes place through the prophet Nathan, King David says that he is going to build God a house. What is God’s reply? He says, “No, I’m going to build you a house.” Not just any house, either, but a house that will last forever.

How often do we do the same thing? We promise God that we’ll do something for him, only to find that God says, “No, I’m going to do that for you.” And he will do it (he has already done it) in the same way he did it for David: through Jesus Christ. 

We tell God that we will obey him, and we find that Jesus was already “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). We intend to please God, and we find that Jesus “always [did] the things that are pleasing to him” (John 8:29). On our best and most ambitious days, we may even find ourselves promising to give our whole lives for God — and we find instead that God has given his life for us (1 John 3:16).

In short, we tell God we will do something for him, and he replies, “It’s already been done.” It is finished (John 19:30). And all of this on our behalf, yours and mine.

This Advent season, may you rest — truly rest — in the work that Jesus has already done for you.

Josh Bishop is the web content manager for Hope College.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever;
with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever;
in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”
You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
‘I will establish your offspring forever,
and build your throne for all generations.’”

Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said:
“I have granted help to one who is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him,
so that my hand shall be established with him;
my arm also shall strengthen him.
The enemy shall not outwit him;
the wicked shall not humble him.
I will crush his foes before him
and strike down those who hate him.
My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him,
and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
I will set his hand on the sea
and his right hand on the rivers.
He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father,
my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’”
Psalm 89:1–4, 19–26

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This psalm authorship in the Hebrew Bible is attributed to Ethan the Ezrahite. The title “Ezrahite” likely denotes Ethan’s lineage or origin, possibly associating him with the clan of Zerah, a descendant of Judah. Despite the lack of specific biographical information, Ethan’s contribution to the Psalter suggests a role as a wise and contemplative figure within the ancient Israelite community. Psalm 89, stands out for its emphasis on God’s covenant with David, reflecting a deep theological understanding and a sense of communal identity. In addition, within the title of the psalm we also find the term maskil; it suggests that the psalm is intended for instruction or contemplation, emphasizing its didactic nature.

The psalmist, in the opening verses, exclaims with joy and gratitude, praising the Lord for His steadfast love and faithfulness. This sets the tone for the comprehensive theme of Advent, a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the fulfillment of divine promises. 

During the season of Advent within the Christian faith we often hear the expression “Come and Cheer.” These three simple words together consolidate the essence of Advent, and they invite us to rejoice in the midst of waiting, to find comfort in the promises of God even in uncertain times. Our Lord Jesus Christ once said to his disciples, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NIV). This firm statement provides hope for the present and future because God’s promises are yes, and amen. 

Biblical history highlights the focus of this season of how Israel’s messiah, Immanuel (God with us), came once humbly to this world in the person of Jesus more than two thousand years ago. He came as the hope of this world. He did not come as people were expecting him, as a powerful warrior with armor, a sword, a horse, and a massive army behind him to deliver Israel from political oppression. Instead, He came as a meek lamb ready to be sacrificed for his people, demonstrating his steadfast love and faithfulness to them, just like the psalmist remarked in his psalm writings. That same Messiah is who we joyfully remember and celebrate during this season and who also promised to come again to make all things new.

The psalmist’s words, echoing through the centuries, resonate in our hearts as we embrace the season with anticipation, celebrating the fulfillment of ancient prophecies in the birth of Jesus Christ. 

As we reflect on Psalm 89 during Advent, I invite you to have a spiritual journey of introspection and hope reflecting on how God has demonstrated his steadfast love and faithfulness in your life.

Charley Peña is a chaplain of discipleship for Campus Ministries at Hope College.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
1 Thessalonians 5:16–24

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“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.” When I was a seeker of Christ but not yet a follower, these kinds of instructions in holy living would fill my heart with despair. Paul does not say to the church at Thessalonica: “Rejoice as much as possible, pray as much as you reasonably can, try your best to thank God in the bad times as well as the good.” No, Paul commands followers of Jesus to pray without ceasing and rejoice always. But who can possibly do that? The obvious unachievability of these commandments, and others like them, was a provocation and a source of anguish for me. How could I ever become a Christian if this was the standard I had to meet?

Holy living is an important component of Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica. Paul sees it as fitting to remind the Thessalonian church of the necessity of abstaining from sexual immorality (4:3–8), of working to support themselves (4:10–12), and of living peacefully with one another (5:11–13). But alongside each of these directives, Paul also tenderly reassures the church that God, who is faithful, will help them. God has chosen them (1:4), and He is the one who makes them increase in love for one another and for everyone (3:11). Paul repeatedly reminds the church that in making his people holy, God prepares us for the second coming of Christ, making our hearts, souls, and bodies ready to meet Jesus at his return (3:13; 5:23).  

What I failed to understand when I first read passages like the one above is that God doesn’t leave his people alone to figure out holy living through our own efforts. He himself helps us to become the kind of people ready to stand in his presence. Advent is a time to anticipate the coming of Christ. Let’s remember today that our faithful God is the one who will establish our hearts blameless on the day of Jesus’s return, and rejoice.

Dr. Julia Smith is an assistant professor of philosophy instruction at Hope College.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
Luke 1:46–55

And Mary Sang: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”

In Luke 1:46–55, with the Christ Child within her, Mary visits Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, soon to be born. Elizabeth feels John leap inside of her at Mary’s greeting, and “Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” Then, Mary sings, and we hear her rejoice for the Mighty One, and celebrate God’s:

• Awareness of “the humble state of his servant” 
• Scattering “those who are proud of their inmost thoughts” 
• Bringing “down rulers from their thrones, but lifting up the humble”
• Filling “the hungry with good things but [sending] the rich away empty”

Mary rejoices for God’s mercy on the descendants of Abraham, which extends “from generation to generation.” The descendants of Abraham are the humble, the hungry, the most deserving of mercy in God’s eyes, as Mary voices in joyful reunion with her beloved cousin, Elizabeth. Their familial ties reveal to us the core of celebration at birth: two expectant mothers of two beloved sons and cousins in the tribe of Abraham, one of which is the Christ child.

We celebrate our own children’s births as events focused on joy and miracle. We can witness in the birth of our siblings, children, nieces and nephews and cousins, the force of life granted to all of us, to our fecundity in the willingness of the Lord. These familial ties are equal with God’s mercy, as Mary expresses in her song.

As Mary sings in celebration of the joy within her, she also reminds us that soon, as God has promised, Israel would be released from its captivity when the son of God appears. We sing a celebration at the coming of Jesus Christ similar to Mary’s song in John 1:46–55. It’s in the Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” which asks us to rejoice at the coming birth of Jesus, who “[m]ake[s] safe for us the heavenward road / and bar[s] the way to death’s abode.” We can rejoice in the coming of Jesus the savior, He who rescues us from hell, sheds light on the darkness, and “bid[s] all our sad divisions cease.” We pray for the ceasing of sad divisions — this year, especially. We pray, also, at the joy of Jesus’s birth and John the Baptist’s herald of that Holy Arrival. 

Yet, what resonates for me most strongly in Mary’s song in Luke 1:46–55 are the deeds of the Mighty One, of an active and assertive God. He lifts up the humble, feeds the hungry and sends the rich away, their bellies empty. It’s a telling moment early in the Gospel of Luke. I am reminded of my own humility in the eyes of the Lord, and that he favors those who need more than I do. I am reminded of the requirement to humble myself before the Lord and before others, and that Christ’s coming will redeem me (it has redeemed me — it continually redeems me) as I commit myself to his mission: to help those among me who are most in need. 

The past and future generations of our families, like our lineages of faith and love, expand across time, beyond our mortal memories, insights, and predictions. Our children’s children will be children, as we are the children of children. All the humble, all the hungry, all those who seek succor, were once children in their mothers’ wombs, mothers who rejoiced at the coming of their child, and celebrated in the warmth of their families.

Dr. Pablo Peschiera is an associate professor of English at Hope College.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like streams in the Negeb!
Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.
Psalm 126

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I became a Christian when I was about 10 years old. Life then looked simple and promising. I thought that with God’s help and guidance, the trajectory of my life would take a safe and peaceful pathway. I imagined smooth stages of adulthood, growing in godliness, tackling life with victory as long as I followed biblical principles and the rules of society. Simple. No problem. Trust and obey to be happy in Jesus, as the hymn claimed. Of course there would be trials, but surely they wouldn’t be that terribly difficult to overcome.

Well, I got older. I witnessed strangers, friends, and family members experience loss and pain in its various forms. I learned belatedly that my parents had dealt with the loss of stillborn twin daughters back when I was about 4 or 5 years old. My hazy memories of that time had left me with a vague awareness of my mom’s pregnancy and the anticipation of baby sisters, but somehow the babies never came, and we never talked about it. Yet, my parents had kept on going, and were able to be decent parents in the midst of their grief, raising my older sister and me in such a way that allowed us to be relatively unscathed. How did they manage to do that?

I went through my own dark valley where I became unsure of whether I could ever feel joy again, even with faith in God. Now, I think that everyone’s life gets touched by pain eventually, and it changes you forever. 

Psalm 126 speaks of having our fortunes restored, and joy following our seasons of weeping. What stands out to me is the last portion of the psalm. The theme of sowing while still in tears. It seems that we simply cannot wait until healing arrives. Somehow, we still need to keep going in order to not let the darkness swallow us up. The slow process of healing takes place while we make ourselves get up each morning. It happens while we go to work, attend meetings, cook dinner, pump gas, clean the bathroom. It also happens while we cry out to Jesus, while we do the hard work of talking to a friend or therapist, and also when we crash and burn, ending up crying alone in our car or spending a whole day in bed because we simply just can’t anymore.

Throughout all this, God meets us in our pain, providing us with a little light for each additional step. As we wait in our darkness, keep sowing, keep working, keep fighting. Keep clinging to his promises that he will give us strength for each day. And one day, we will find ourselves having actually exited from the complete darkness into a new season of light, able to feel joy and experience laughter again, with our own song of ascent, glad because of the great thing God has done for us.

Jasmine Lowell is the international education coordinator for the Center for Global Engagement at Hope College.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.
They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.

For I the LORD love justice;
I hate robbery and wrong;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their offspring shall be known among the nations,
and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge them,
that they are an offspring the LORD has blessed.

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations.
Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11

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As we read the comforting words of hope delivered by the prophet, let us not forget the context of God’s story, a context which anoints the words with deep blessing. The entire book of Isaiah is a recurring cycle. Betrayal, injustice, and pride are followed by God’s warning and entreatments. These are sometimes suspended with a brief glimmer of repentance, but usually followed by punishment and destruction. That was the pattern for God’s people centuries before Christ, and it is not unfamiliar to God’s people today.

The passage from Isaiah 61 is a vibrant demarcation towards hope, a pronouncement that the cycle will be broken. So where is the hope in these words? It is in the promise that God would deliver his people from Babylonian captivity, the punishment they so invited, and also in the promise that God’s people would be delivered someday from the captivity of their own sin, and its eternal punishment. Where is the comfort? That comes 700 years later at the synagogue in Nazareth, when Jesus ascribes the Messianic prophecy to himself, fully identifying as the nexus of God’s redemptive plan.

We have received the ultimate deliverance in the earthly work of Jesus Christ, starting at the incarnation and ending at the cross and empty tomb. That is why the context makes these words sweet, because 2,700 years later, we are they — God’s people living in the reality of deliverance. Yet, we are also still waiting for the day when the Lord will return and wipe away our tears, and then we will say, “Surely this is our God,” and we will rejoice in his salvation.

Dr. Jonathan Peterson is dean for the Natural and Applied Sciences Division at Hope College.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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