Advent Hope: Trusting God When the Waiting Feels Long

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.” Psalm 130:5

When Waiting Feels Hard

Waiting isn’t always easy! Right now I’m waiting for the last of the three grandchildren due this fall to be born, and I’m on pins and needles every time my phone dings. Is this it? Is my daughter finally in labor after having gone past her due date?

Although I know this child will be born any day now, I am filled with both anticipation and anxiety. My heart thrills at the thought of finally seeing this precious little boy we’ve awaited for a whole nine months, but it also aches with concern that labor may have to be induced. Either way, this baby is coming soon!

The Longest Wait of All

There’s another birth that was greatly anticipated–Emmanuel’s! However, instead of nine months, God’s people waited approximately seven hundred years from the time Isaiah prophesied His birth to His first coming.

And we’re waiting still—this time for His second coming when He'll come not as a baby but as King.

This is actually why we observe Advent.

What Advent Really Means

The word “advent” comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming” or “arrival.” So, as we observe Advent, what we’re really doing is recognizing that we are living between Christ’s first coming and awaiting His second coming.

But friend, we are not waiting and wondering if  He will come again to complete our restoration to God and the victory over evil He set in motion more than two thousand years ago. We are waiting in expectation of that restoration and that victory.

Hope for the Waiting Heart

Psalm 130:5 says, “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.”

The theme for this first week of Advent is hope.

So, as you light the candle on your Advent wreath this week, or observe Advent in another meaningful way, remember: hope is not a wish. It is waiting with patient expectation for what God has said will be so.

Emmanuel in the Waiting

Waiting isn’t always easy, but the birth of Emmanuel—God is with us—assures us that when the waiting seems hopeless, we are not alone and nothing is ever “less” with God.

Not only can we wait with patient expectation for Christ's return, but we can also wait with that same expectation in whatever hard season we may face today or tomorrow.

Our hope is not a wish; it is a gift placed in our hands by God. Unwrap it, hold onto it, and let it carry you through your waiting.

A Prayer for the Waiting Heart

Heavenly Father, this world is so chaotic and loud. We ask you still our hearts and minds so that we can hear your quiet, gentle voice above all the things clamoring for our attention this Christmas season. As Christmas Day draws near, draw us nearer to you. We recognize, Lord, that some are going through a particularly difficult time right now. We ask that You be especially close to them. We thank you for the hope You gave us at Christ's birth and for the assurance we have that He is coming again. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.