Advent is upon us, the season of preparation and anticipation of the arrival of the King; Emmanual, God with us. The traditional theme of the first Sunday in Advent is ‘Hope.’
We all know hope. We hope things will work out. We hope you’re feeling okay. We know that hope isn’t a strategy, but hope springs eternal. But what does hope mean from a Biblical perspective?
The good folks at the Bible Project explain it this way:
“Sometimes hope feels wishful, like crossing our fingers and dreaming of a better outcome. We might hope for better employment, healed relationships, or a brighter future. But that kind of hope is based on things that may or may not happen. When things don’t go as we hoped, it can be crushing – our hope disappearing like vapor.
As a season of reflection and contemplation, Advent invites us to imagine a different kind of hope, rooted in the unchanging nature of God and his promise to restore every part of his creation. Advent hope does not minimize pain or difficulty, nor does it assume things will soon get better. Instead, it faces the darkness with courage and chooses to trust that God’s promises will come to pass, guaranteed by his long-proven, faithful character.
In the Hebrew Bible, the words most often used for hope – qavah and yakhal – are also translated as “wait.” To hope in God means to wait with patient expectation, trusting that he will fulfill his promises. This kind of waiting leans forward, anticipating the day when Jesus will return to make all things new. Such hope empowers people to persevere, to act justly, and to serve others as a sign of the restoration that will arrive through Jesus.”
This Advent season may we wait with patient (but eager) expectation, with trust, anticipation, and no small amount of Hope.
P.A. Tennant – Advent, 2025
Soli Deo Gloria
Video: The Bible Project: https://bibleproject.com/videos/yakhal-hope/
Copyright 2025 Paul A. Tennant
Substack: https://storyroad.substack.com
Website: https://patennant.com/
P.A. Tennant 
Good insight, happy advent!
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