For David says concerning him, 'I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.' Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. (Acts 2:25-32)

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When my two oldest children were little, on Christmas Eve they would go under the Christmas tree and begin to place all the gifts that were theirs in a pile in anticipation of what was to come the next day; hoping that the gifts they wanted were in the wrapped packages.

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Unlike the hope that my children had, David had a hope that can be defined as a longing to see a promise yet to be revealed at a later time. The assurance David had was knowing that his soul in death would not be abandoned to Hades and his descendant, The Holy One, would live again.

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What David hoped for, we were given on that first Christmas morning. We place our hope, not in a babe in a manger, but in a Savior who died on a cross and walked out of the tomb three days later so that we may have eternal life with Him.

 

Questions to Ponder: This Christmas, where does your hope lie? In relationships, in wealth, and comfort or does it lie in the hope (anticipation) of the life yet to come with Jesus?

 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the hope we have in You; knowing that one day we will see You face to face when we close our eyes in death and open them up in Heaven or if we see You coming in the clouds to take us home.