Scripture Focus: Psalm 130:7
O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption.
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Reflection: Anticipation and Hope
By Lisa Antonishek
One of my fondest childhood memories is filled with anticipation. Sitting with my sister and brother eagerly at the top of the stairs Christmas morning, we waited while Mom and Dad readied cameras and made coffee preparing for the day to begin. We cried out for permission to come and see. When the okay finally came, we bounded down the stairs greeted by a lit Christmas tree surrounded with many beautifully wrapped presents.
Anticipation. For a child, anticipation is what’s coming next in life. For the Israelites, anticipation was the ascension to the temple to receive the mercy of God—calling out as the journey began, asking for God to hear, then acknowledging His sovereignty and His promise of forgiving sins.
In our journeys we too cry out, release control, and wait with anticipation for God’s promises, finding hope in His Word.
Hope in God’s Word is an anchor for our souls. Often, when calling on the Lord in prayer, we find it hard to wait. As a society, we seek immediate results, yet the Bible teaches us to hope in His promises. Abraham and Sarah hoped, waiting on God’s promise of a son; Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. Nothing is too hard for God!
In prison, Joseph held onto hope in God after revealing the dreams of the cupbearer and baker. God knew exactly when to bring things into place so that Joseph could be used to defray the coming famine. Joseph shared recognition of God’s plan with his brothers in Genesis 50:20, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
As children on Christmas morning, our hope in the waiting was that we had been “good enough” to be receivers of gifts. Little did we know that the greatest gift of all is readily available.
Jesus’s blood shed for us on the cross is the ultimate gift of freedom. This freedom is never earned but given through His great love for us. As the psalmist wrote, “for with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption.”
What emotions do you think anticipation brought for the Israelites as they ascended the stairs to the temple? What are some ways you have walked in anticipation and hope of God’s promises?
Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence
Show us the light of your countenance, O God, and come to us. — Psalm 67.1
– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.
Today’s Readings
Isaiah 59 (Listen 3:54)
Psalms 129-131 (Listen 2:03)
Read more about Time Tested Devotion
Pray the Examen regularly and it will tutor you in practicing the presence of God.
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