As we begin Advent, we’re reminded that the First Sunday calls us into Hope. Hope isn’t the same as optimism. While optimism insists on silver linings, hope goes deeper, trusting in God’s presence even when outcomes seem bleak. Hope refuses to accept that what seems impossible to us is impossible for God. Where God is present, impossibility is absent.
This Advent season, may you find hope not in avoiding life’s challenges, but in seeing them within God’s vision of a transformed future. We at the North Carolina Council of Churches offer these devotions to turn your hearts toward the source of true hope, guiding you toward Christ’s coming promise.