The power of hope

“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the power of the Holy Spirit.’” Matthew 1:20 God will fill us with the joy, peace and power of the Holy Spirit — if we trust Him. As we put our trust in Him, we will find the power of hope that overflows. What is this hope? Some people understand hope as wishful thinking, as in “I hope something will happen.” That’s not what the Bible means about hope. The biblical definition of hope is “confident expectation.” In other words, hope is a firm assurance regarding things that are unclear and unknown. Hope is knowing someone believes in you and will never quit on you. Hope is the anchor to life; it is the one word that keeps us going in all seasons of life. Hope sees the present — moving us toward a good future. And we all can received this hope — found in the person of Jesus the Christ. It is through Him there is a...