By Chris Hall

What’s so special about hope? We throw the word around a lot this time of year. Paul seems to believe it gives us the strength we need to endure the pain and struggles of this life. It even helps us “glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” But how?

Some day (hopefully a long time from now) you will breathe your last breath. Your pulse will flat line and you will assume room temperature. As a Christian, your story won’t be different. Your earthly body will die.

But one of the precious and powerful promises from Scripture is eternal life (1 John 2:25). Yes, though you stop breathing, in Christ you will live on forever in the presence of the King. No more tears or pain. No cancer or stress. No injustice or sin. Streets of gold. All of it!

Consider how freeing that is. Because your forever has been purchased by the blood of the Lamb, you can live today in the fullness of his love without fear of death. And since he works all things for our ultimate good, he gives our today—even our suffering—deep, eternal meaning.

Now when he says, “Be not afraid,” you can actually obey because what is the worst that could happen? You stop breathing and get to be with the lover of your soul forever? Not bad for a worst-case scenario.

With that hope, you are free to live life loved, free from fear, and free to bask in his love. You are free to live a life so radically different from this hurting world that it will cause people to ask you questions that have gospel answers. Because of hope, your life will “glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Prayer: God, from Old Testament to New, your Word proclaims that we have hope in Jesus. Thank you for his birth, life, death, resurrection, and work to prepare a place for us, so that we can be free of the fear of death!

Chris Hall is pastor of Elevation Church in Wyoming, Michigan. The 2016 Advent devotions were written by RCA church planters and parent churches.

By Rob Link

The music industry in the United States generated $15 billion in 2012. The global music industry generated $50 billion that year.

That’s a lot of money.

People pay big bucks to sing along with their favorite tunes. Most of us happily contribute to this multi-billion dollar business. We love songs and we love to sing along (though for some this is only true as long as no one else can hear!).

What if all that singing is a reflection of something deeper? What if it points to a reality that all of us were made to praise the King of kings? Maybe we sing along with Justin Timberlake or Taylor Swift or Drake in a subconscious effort to meet our inborn need to praise.

Here are three facts:

1. We were made to praise.
2. Singing along with Justin, Taylor, Drake, and their cohorts will never satiate our God-given—albeit subconscious, for many—need to worship.
3. God is much more worthy of our voices raised in song than the topics on the pop chart.

Here is a suggestion: Let’s take our love of song and direct it solely to the coming of Jesus this Advent. “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever; may his glory fill the whole earth. Amen and Amen” (vv. 18-19).

Let’s put aside our favorite pop culture stuff for the season and bust out the worship tunes. Let’s set aside the norm and embrace the carols. Just for a month—only worship and Christmas tunes.

I think I’ll give it a try this Advent. Would you like to join me?

Prayer: God of wondrous things, may the wonder of Christ’s coming, as told by hundreds of writers in hundreds of songs, fill our hearts and mouths again these days.

Rob Link is pastor of The River in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The 2016 Advent devotions were written by RCA church planters and parent churches.

By Nate Bull

When I reflect on Psalm 72, one of the things that comes to mind is the major influence the spirit realm has on the natural realm. Some would even go so far as to say the spirit realm dominates the natural realm.

Here, the writer, King Solomon, asks God to lead him in righteous ruling of the people and justice for the afflicted. But look at what seems obvious to Solomon, what naturally follows righteous and just ruling: mountains that bring prosperity, abundance of rain, righteous flourishing, and prosperity abounding. Is it possible that when a nation lacks just and righteous rulers that a natural result is famine, lack, plagues, and the coming to power of the ungodly? Not just possible, probable. Consider the sobering words of 2 Chronicles 7:13-15: “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.”

In this Advent season, our crying out for righteous rulers and the coming of the righteous King isn’t only something spiritual. It has the potential to prevent natural disasters, foster economic growth, or help godly leaders come to power. We’re not asking for an economic boost because that’s not the root of the problem. We’re asking for the advent of submission to the true King. All these other blessings are a by-product of his reign in our lives and in our nation.

Prayer: God, reign over our world and help us submit to you. Break our hearts for what breaks yours, use us for your kingdom come, bless us by breaking us of our sin, and heal our land.

Nate Bull is pastor of Forefront Ministries in Benton Harbor, Michigan, and is starting a ministry house in Detroit. The 2016 Advent devotions were written by RCA church planters and parent churches.