We discover in Isaiah this remarkable verse of promise, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6). The answer to a world that has turned its back on Him is a child, His own Son. He will be what no king has been, or any other king will ever be. Because He is the mighty God, He can be a true Father to His people. He can bring lasting peace, and He can give truly wonderful counsel. The promise of this child has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Savior.
One word we could use to describe the world is despair. Despair is an utter loss of hope. The good news is that an exchange is offered to anyone who receives Christ into their life. In this exchange, we give God our despair, and He replaces it with hope.
A believer’s hope is based on God’s faithfulness. Our day-to-day experiences and hardships are sometimes overwhelming; unless we can see that God’s purpose is to bring about continual growth in us. Without this understanding, we may despair. However, with this understanding, we have a sure hope in Christ. This hope is expressed in Jeremiah 29:11-12, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.” We can retain our hope even while we suffer when we understand that God’s mercy endures forever, and He is always faithful to His people.
A believer’s hope comes from trusting in Christ and remembering all He has done for us. Whenever I face a problem, I remember that a problem is something that can’t be fixed, and God can fix everything. After all, in Christ, we are reconciled with God. Paul writes, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom 5:1-2). Faith, hope, and love are at the heart of the Christian life (see: 1 Cor 13:13). Our relationship with God begins with faith that helps us realize we have been delivered and offered a new life in Christ. Hope grows as we learn who God is and that in His goodness, His plans are meant for us to flourish in Him. God’s love fills our lives with hope that is so abundant we can share it with others.
A believer’s hope grows as we remember the promise of the resurrection. We read in the Scriptures, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thess 4:13). Because Jesus Christ came back to life, so will all believers. We have the sure promise of living with Him forever. Therefore, we need not despair even at death. Jesus has conquered death, proving He has the power to turn our tragedies into triumphs, our pain to glory, and apparent defeat into actual victory. We need to remind ourselves and encourage others with this great hope.
The world needs today that child born in a stable who died for our sins and was resurrected for our salvation. The world needs to make a great exchange. We all need to exchange despair for hope. God offers this exchange to all who will receive Christ as Lord and Savior. I pray that each of us will come to Christ for salvation and receive the greatest gift of all, life eternal in Jesus Christ (see: John 3:16). This is the great exchange and the greatest gift anyone can receive, salvation and hope in Christ. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!