Hope College Devotions

“Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.”

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day:

“Give thanks to the LORD,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.

“Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.
Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
Isaiah 12:2–6

---

Have you ever wondered why we sing so many songs at Christmastime? 

Whether sacred Advent hymns (“O Come, O Come Emmanuel”), or beloved Christmas carols (“O Holy Night”), or childhood favorites like “Frosty the Snowman,” or schmaltzy pop hits like Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You,” this season is jam-packed with songs. I swear, radio stations started playing Christmas music before Halloween this year.

Today’s passage from Isaiah can help us understand why the world is filled with songs every December. Twice the prophet tells us to sing: “Sing praises” (v. 5) and “sing for joy” (v. 6). 

Isaiah doesn’t only tell us to sing, though. He also tells us why we sing.

We sing because we have a particular kind of joy: “With joy [we] will draw water from the wells of salvation” (v. 3). And we sing “for joy… for great in [our] midst is the Holy One of Israel” (v. 6). We are joyful during Christmas because our salvation has come in the person of Jesus Christ, God with us.

Notice the connection between singing and salvation in verse 2: Isaiah says that the Lord God is “my song” and that he has become “my salvation.” God our song has become God our salvation. And so, in response to God — our song and salvation — Christians are people who sing.

And because of the salvation God has provided, we “sing praises, for he has done gloriously” (v. 5). Is there anything more glorious than this good news of great joy? For unto us is born the Savior, Christ the Lord (Luke 2:10–11).

Isaiah teaches us that all of these things — joy, salvation, the Holy One of Israel, and singing — are a package deal. 

If that’s not a reason to sing, I don’t know what is.

Josh Bishop is the web content manager 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.

Subscribe to daily Advent emails

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 1:3–11

---

There has never been a year where I have approached this prayer of Paul and Timothy with such trepidation. This has been a year where many of us have sought solitude and can barely remember what it is like to gather together under the same roof. Even as Paul and Timothy longed for fellowship, they were held back by their own circumstances (not the fear that is induced in us by a global pandemic). 

The other half of my heart feels the deep longing of this prayer of thanksgiving as I remember the moments of unity brought by corporate worship. My disconnection and isolation allow me access to some of the heartfelt longing that Paul and Timothy were so often feeling. Feelings of being far from home, far from comfort and uncertain of what was in store for the future. 

As I read this prayer, I am forced to reconcile with my fear and my anger. So many divisions and opinions have made me doubt the strength of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I judge their messages online and their political opinions, and deep down my soul gives a sigh of relief that I don’t have to see them again on Sunday. 

This prayer confronts my arrogance and pride. How am I comfortable disparaging the bride of Christ? My heart needs to be reoriented to see the church as Christ does. 

So I hope that our love may abound more and more, with knowledge and discernment, so that we all may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. We all need this prayer for ourselves and, if we can love as Christ does, for those we disagree with. 

Lord have mercy on us.

Greg Lookerse is an assistant professor of art.

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.

Subscribe to daily Advent emails

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 1:68–79

---

Last December, confined to home with my husband due to coronavirus precautions, we daily observed the season with no fewer than three Advent calendars. One featured a name for Jesus each day and scriptures to accompany it. But when I read today’s scripture passage with an eye toward a devotional I could share, I was intrigued by “horn of salvation.” These are Zechariah’s words shortly after the birth of his son, John the Baptist. With them he celebrates not just his great joy and the role of John in preparing the way of the Lord, but prophesies that the means of their salvation, and ours, was to come. Jesus is the horn of our salvation!

But why “horn”? This moniker did not make it into our Advent calendar last year, and I don’t know about you, but I have little use of (actual) horns these days. Thankfully, Andrew Wilson, pastor of King’s Church in London, writes a chapter on horns in his book God of All Things. (Apropos for Advent, Wilson explains how material things reveal to us things about God. Perfect for a season of awaiting God coming in flesh.)

Horns, Wilson points out, have at least three meanings in scripture. First, horns symbolize “strength, power and victory in battle,” as that is their purpose for the animals that possess them. Second, horns connote plenty, as in the image of cornucopias full of produce and gifts of the earth. And, finally, horns are used in anointing with oil, and thus also suggestive of the Christ, our Messiah, the anointed. 

In our modern world, we too easily take comfort in our historically unprecedented plenty, but how about God’s timeless sovereignty and unchanging power? With strength, he has raised up a horn of our salvation, to save us from our enemies (v. 71), to show us mercy, and fulfill His covenant (v. 72), so that we can serve Him without fear (v. 74). Amen.

Dr. Sarah Estelle is an associate professor of economics.

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.

Subscribe to daily Advent emails

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.”
Malachi 3:1–4

---

What kind of offerings are you hoping to bring to the Lord during this Advent season?

This scene sketched out for us by the prophet Malachi (whose very name means messenger) is a profound meditation on the gifts that God loves. Our text is quoted by each of the Gospel writers and is traditionally interpreted to prophesy the coming of John the Baptist, son of the priest Zechariah and Elizabeth. Here the LORD presents himself as the agent that will refine the people of God until the gifts they present are full of righteousness and justice. And even in the gospel of Luke the angel had to silence Zechariah to refine his faith!

But if you read on to verse 5 we are reminded that God never refines us from a distance, but always draws near to us in love and with the patient joy of an artist of precious materials who wipes away the dross until we are beautiful in the Lord. So as you contemplate the life that you live before God don’t be afraid to ask for his purifying presence. He will draw beauty from your gifts given in humility and service. 

And as we look toward the Day of the Lord on this side of the resurrection, I am singing along with one of my new favorite Advent songs, written by our friend Wendell Kimbrough: “Everything that is broken will soon be restored, it’s not long till the day of the Lord.”

Bruce Benedict is the chaplain of worship and arts.

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.

Subscribe to daily Advent emails

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:25–36

---

And Then There Was Light

Darkness seems invincible, stalking humanity even during the sunlit day, sowing chaos, spreading division, feasting on the pain of broken lives, abandoned dreams, and weary hearts. 

Roaring like a hungry lion, darkness doesn’t want humanity to know that it lives in fear. It’s terrified that humanity will fully embrace the love of God, stand up to its bullying and find supernatural strength in the truth that since the beginning of beginnings darkness has been God’s servant. 

Darkness has had no choice but to obey God, because it was in darkness where God, resting comfortably with all His power and majesty, subdued darkness with the pure light of his holiness and glory. And then, choosing to manifest His love in a new and expansive way, God created and said, “Let there be light.” 

Darkness was restricted to portions of the day, but, still rebellious and seeking to harm the creation that God loved most, it unleashed spiritual death and misery into the world. Unimpressed and undeterred, God sent humanity the gift of his beloved Son who “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:1–5). 

In this time of Advent, it is well to remember that although darkness still labors toward victory it’s been defeated by Jesus, the Christ. Those who know Him as Lord and Savior need not ever fear because the victory over darkness has been forever won.

Dr. Fred L. Johnson III is an associate professor of history.

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.

Subscribe to daily Advent emails

For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
1 Thessalonians 3:9–13

---

In our current time and place, the importance of individual achievement can easily overshadow our strong need for community. Unchecked, this emphasis can map onto our understanding of faith. We can assume that it’s all up to us to maintain a fruitful relationship with our Creator. And when we go through dry seasons where it feels like God is distant, we may feel like it’s somehow our fault or that there is something wrong with us. We see others around us flourishing, growing in leaps and bounds in their faith. A natural response is to compare our lives with theirs: perhaps the stark differences make us feel ashamed, jealous or bitter. Further isolation follows as we pull away from them. There is a better example to emulate.

Paul’s response to his own distress and affliction is to rejoice in the strong faith of loved ones, thanking God and asking that anything lacking in them may be restored (1 Thessalonians 3:9–13). Though counterintuitive, if we do the same, we can find our weakened faith to be bolstered by those near to us. Thankfully, it is not our job to regulate our faith as if it is just another personal dimension of life, like education, physical fitnes, or social status. We can share the faith of others, and take comfort in their strength when we are weak. And one day, these same neighbors may need to draw on the strength of our faith because of their own struggles. We are created to rely on and comfort one another, especially as we experience the ups and downs of a life of faith. 

Dr. David Keep is an assistant professor of music.

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.

Subscribe to daily Advent emails

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.

Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!

Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
Psalm 25: 1–10

---

“Teach me” … those two words often become harder to say as we grow older. As children, we asked others to show or teach us how to do things like ride a bike, tie a shoe, throw a baseball, make a paper airplane or read a book. However, as we grow older our willingness to be humble and ask for guidance to learn something new often fades with the years or becomes subservient to our ego and pride.

The concept of “humble inquiry” was developed by Edgar Schein, a former professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Originally developed to assist business leaders in the workplace, humble inquiry involves a willingness and intentionality of acknowledging what we don’t know and seeking answers from someone who does. When practiced, the process of asking questions, seeking information or being willing to learn from someone else allows two people to connect and engage with one another in ways that strengthen their relationship. The act of humble inquiry creates a symbiotic relationship of mutual benefit where the individual who seeks to be taught enhances their knowledge and understanding, while the other feels valued and honored for being asked to impart it. 

The Psalmist in today’s passage encourages us to be practitioners of humble inquiry with our Triune God by crying out, “Make me to know your ways, O Lord… teach me your paths.” We know that God wants us to seek His wisdom and ways through instruction and prayer, but sometimes we are not humble enough to ask. Our arrogance and pride make us think we can handle life on our own. However, as Christians, we have a free educational opportunity of life-long learning at the feet of Jesus, a spiritual form of Hope Forward. As such, we should constantly practice humble inquiry and position ourselves before the creator, sustainer and greatest teacher as we face decisions and choices about how to live. When we ask God to teach us and show us His paths through biblical study and prayerful supplication, we will find comfort and instruction beyond earthly measure. 

God of mercy and comfort we humbly ask that you teach us your paths and show us your ways. We agree with the Psalmist when we are told that your paths are good, upright and always filled with steadfast love and faithfulness. We thank you for that and pray that we never fail to humble ourselves before you. Teach us how to engage with each other and our world in ways that bring glory to you and your kingdom.

---

Dr. Kirk Brumels is the John H. and Jeanne M. Jacobson Professor of Kinesiology.

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.

Subscribe to daily Advent emails

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’”
Jeremiah 33:14–16

---

To the Israelites who were the first audience of this prophecy, suffering corruption from within and persecution from Babylon, it meant a king restored to the throne of David in Jerusalem and priests performing sacrifices in a renewed temple. The first coming of Jesus as the true successor of David completely changed how his followers think about kingship and righteousness. Yet how can this ancient text still point us forward? What does it mean for the Lord to be our righteousness?

I tend to find righteousness in being on the right team. This can mean the right nation or church but is usually subtler, in ways I’m still discovering: the right religion or way of thinking, even doing the right thing. It’s hard to conceive of a righteousness that is not about right as opposed to wrong, just as it’s hard to imagine a kingdom that is not about a king executing justice through some sort of force. But the definition of biblical righteousness that makes more sense to me is right relationship, just as Jesus shows true kingship to work by vulnerable, non-coercive, self-sacrificial love.

When Jesus takes up the metaphor of the branch in John 15, he calls himself the true vine and invites us to be branches that abide in him so as to bear fruit. We are to expect to be pruned (and haven’t we had a time of pruning?) so as to bear more fruit. The fruit is love, and the abiding is in his love. Those called to abide he calls friends, not slaves, because he has made known to us all he has heard from his Father. In this season, let us abide together in love and wait to be surprised by the fruit of the peaceful kingdom coming.

Dr. Curtis Gruenler is a professor of English.

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.

Subscribe to daily Advent emails

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.”
Isaiah 40:1–2

---

When singing Christmas carols like Away in a Manger — “Little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay // The baby awakes… no crying he makes” — it’s easy to forget that the Christmas story was actually a total train wreck. The scandal of unexpected teen pregnancy, the screaming of a woman in labor, the crying baby in a grimy animal food trough. That night was far from silent. 

And yet, God brought salvation to all mankind from that dirty manger. Consistent with His character, God does the same for us: our challenges, which so often feel like unredeemable train wrecks, are opportunities for God to work redemption for our good and His glory.

This is the promise of Christmas, and is our greatest comfort: God brings redemption out of seeming disaster. He finds us in our troubles and heals our heartache. This is the comfort of HOPE: the light comes into the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it. Even when life feels like a train wreck, we take comfort in the redemption worked out of that dirty manger and noisy night.

On a scale from train wreck to redemption, I’m not sure what your life feels like right now. But whether you’re experiencing heartache or gladness (or a little bit of both), I pray that this Advent devotional, Comfort My People, will provide you with a glimpse of the comfort that only God can provide.

Beginning tomorrow, November 28, faculty and staff from Hope College will guide us on a devotional journey to Christmas Day. Every day of Advent, you will find a new meditation on a scripture passage adapted from the Revised Common Lectionary.

If you haven’t already subscribed to receive daily emails, please sign up here. Or, you can follow along online at hope.edu/advent. And please, share this with your friends and anyone else who might be interested in joining us.

Thank you for joining Hope College for Advent!

Matthew Scogin is the president of 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.

Subscribe to daily Advent emails