I’d like to tell you a story. A story about hope.
Last month, during Thanksgiving week, I went through some very dark days. I re-injured my hip—probably the third or fourth recurrence over the past few years. Having faced this before, I suspected my Lyme and mold issues were involved and knew recovery was possible. But this time felt different. It pushed me to the edge.
After a series of difficult life and health events since 2015, it seemed like one hardship too many. Dreams of a healthy life and a future family felt out of reach. My prayers seemed unanswered, my feelings misunderstood, and my courage buried under anxiety and exhaustion. I felt utterly hopeless.
The next day, though, I heard an old favorite Christmas carol on the radio—one my dad used to sing every Christmas Eve at church. As “O Holy Night” played, a lyric jumped out at me: “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices. For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.”
A thrill of hope? The weary world rejoicing? Could I be part of that? It felt like God whispered, “Yes. This is real hope.” In that moment I realized I hadn’t lost hope—I had misplaced it. When we rely on circumstances, our own plans, other people, or personal strength, hope won’t stand through life’s storms. I had swapped the lasting hope found in Jesus for a fragile, conditional earthly hope. It’s like choosing a pretty package under the tree that will wear out instead of accepting the priceless, unseen gift of salvation that endures.
How easy it is to misplace our hope and want to give up. Many of you may relate. Just when one difficulty eases, another arrives. Maybe your job brings constant stress. You’re crushed by grief after losing someone dear. You’re overwhelmed raising a family and making ends meet. Or you’re enduring chronic illness that saps your strength. Or maybe nothing seems wrong, yet you feel empty and long for more.
No matter your struggles or how hopeless you feel, there is good news: our Hope has come and remains with us through it all. This hope is woven through Scripture and powerfully present for us to hold on to: a Hope that defies the impossible, comforts the forgotten, and renews our strength. This Christmas, even if little else goes right, we can receive a thrill of hope for our weary hearts and rejoice as the angels did on that holy night in Bethlehem.
Hope that Defies the Impossible
Romans 4:18-22 (paraphrase)
Even when there seemed no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing he would become the father of many nations. Though about 100 years old and facing a deadened body and Sarah’s barren womb, Abraham never wavered. His faith grew stronger and he trusted God’s promise. Because of that faith, God counted him as righteous.
On the day I felt hope was gone, I opened my Bible to Abraham’s story—someone in an impossible situation who still hoped. Another translation says he “hoped against all hope.” Even in old age and against all human reason, Abraham trusted God—and God did the impossible.
God also prepared an impossible way for His own Son to enter the world. A young virgin named Mary and her elderly relative Elizabeth each experienced miraculous pregnancies that defied biology, pointing to a God for whom nothing is impossible.
Luke 1:30-37 (paraphrase)
The angel told Mary not to be afraid—she had found favor with God. She would conceive and bear a son named Jesus, called the Son of the Most High. Even Elizabeth, in her old age and previously called barren, conceived a son. For nothing is impossible with God.
When I read these accounts—two miraculous births—my hope lifts. Elizabeth, like Sarah, trusted God despite the odds and was blessed with John the Baptist. Mary, an ordinary young woman, found favor and became the mother of Jesus. When you face an impossible situation, remember Abraham and Sarah—hope against all hope. Remember Elizabeth and Mary—nothing is impossible with God. God can write a story for you better than you can imagine.
Hope that Comforts the Forgotten
Psalm 31:10-12, 22-24 (paraphrase)
My life is filled with anguish; my years with groaning. My strength fails because of affliction; my bones grow weak. I am treated with contempt; even my closest friends avoid me. I feel forgotten as if dead. Yet in alarm I cried, “I am cut off!” and God heard my cry for mercy. Love the Lord, all faithful people! The Lord preserves those true to him. Be strong and take heart, all who hope in the Lord.
When hard seasons come, it’s easy to feel alone, abandoned by friends, family, or even God. Over the past years of health struggles I’ve cried out countless times without seeing clear progress, and it felt as though God wasn’t listening. Maybe you’ve felt the same—left out, unseen, or convinced God answers others’ prayers but not yours. In these moments, hope can slip away.
David, once an overlooked shepherd, understood those feelings. He poured out his anguish in the Psalms, wondering if God heard him. Yet David continually returned to placing his hope in the Lord, and God honored him—choosing him as king and using his line to point toward the coming Messiah. David wasn’t forgotten; he was chosen.
It’s fitting that the birth of the King of Kings was first announced to shepherds—simple, often overlooked people who may have felt forgotten. The angels brought them the greatest news: a Savior had been born. They were not passed over; they were chosen to receive and share the good news.
Luke 2:8-20 (paraphrase)
Shepherds in the fields were visited by an angel who brought good news of great joy: a Savior was born in Bethlehem, a sign being a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly a host of angels praised God. The shepherds hurried to see the child, then spread the word. Those who heard were amazed, and the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God.
God chose the humble and overlooked to receive comfort and joy through Christ’s birth. If you feel forgotten, remember you are known and chosen. Like the shepherds, you can hold fast to hope and receive comfort in Jesus.
Hope that Renews Our Strength
Isaiah 40:28-31 (paraphrase)
The Lord is the everlasting God, Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not grow tired or weary; his understanding is beyond measure. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.
When hope fades, strength often follows. Everything feels like too much. Will we even make it through today? Isaiah answers: yes—not by our own strength, but by God’s. When we place our hope in Him, our strength is renewed. We may still face pain and trials, but God carries us through them so we don’t have to rely solely on ourselves.
The same God who spoke hope through Isaiah entered our weary world in human form. What an extraordinary night that must have been.
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
This Christmas, consider making this divine story of hope part of your story. If you haven’t yet asked Jesus to be your Savior, there is no better time. He breathes new life into impossible situations, brings comfort to lonely, forgotten days, and renews strength in weary bodies.
Let’s fall on our knees and rejoice over “a new and glorious morn” that came with Christ’s birth—and keep rejoicing over the new and glorious day that will come when Jesus returns to make all things new. Don’t place your hope in wrapped presents, holiday parties, or even family. Put your hope in the greatest Gift of all: Jesus—Wonderful Counselor for our minds, Almighty God for our bodies, Everlasting Father for our relationships, Prince of Peace for our stress. Jesus is a thrill of hope for our weary hearts.
Praying that we all experience a lasting, thrilling hope in Jesus this holiday season and beyond. Merry Christmas!
