Mystifying hope…

After they (the Wise Men seeking the babe) had heard the king, they went on their way, and the start they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. Luke 2:9-10 NIV

Don't leave off hoping, or it's of no use doing anything. Hope, hope to the last! Charles Dickens

Though the Bible offers limited information about the Wise Men who traveled to worship the King of the Jews, we do know that they traveled far with expensive gifts.  Indeed the journey is estimated to have taken anywhere from several months to up to a very possible two years. The length of travel, as well as the valuable gifts that they brought for the Christ child, implies that theirs’ was a Biblical hope, an assured expectation of an event. These men left behind their family and friends, homelands, and more…to step out in hope to an event of which they knew minimal details about.  What impressive hope!

Simarly, when a couple sets out to buy their first home, the process starts out as anticipation as they begin to look at potential homes.  When they find the right home at an affordable price, the loan is secured, and the paperwork is progressing smoothly, their anticipation turns into genuine hope! With joyful expectation, they hope for the day when they will move into their new home.

Have you ever let hope guide your actions and words even in the face of some uncertainty?