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One of my favorite childhood memories was a road trip to Banff. We didn’t travel all that much as a family, but one summer, Mom and Dad packed up the car, filled up with gas, and took us on a journey to the mountains. For hours, all we saw was the flat expanse of the fields, but we held onto the promise of something spectacular ahead. After a night in Regina, another in Edmonton, and countless pit stops in between, we finally saw the jagged peaks rise in the distance, more breathtaking than I ever imagined.

That road trip brings me back to the idea of hope. Trusting the mountains are there, when all you can see is flat land. It’s knowing that beyond the ordinary, beyond the countless miles of sameness, God has something extraordinary in store, even if we can’t see it yet. 

For centuries, God’s people held onto the promise of the Messiah—a Savior who would come to rescue and redeem. They walked through long stretches of waiting. They had the prophecies, they had God’s Word, but the fulfillment seemed distant. And yet, hope sustained them. It was a confident expectation in the promises of God, knowing that He is faithful to bring them to pass, even when they couldn’t see how.

This is the essence of Advent: a season of waiting and hope, trusting that what God has promised will be fulfilled. Hebrews 11:13 (NIV) describes this kind of hope beautifully: “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.” Abraham knew this hope intimately. Though he never fully saw the promise of descendants as numerous as the stars or the blessing for all nations, he trusted that God’s Word was true.

Maybe your life feels like that flat stretch of highway. You’re still waiting for the mountains, still longing for a glimpse of something extraordinary. Maybe you’re walking through this Christmas season carrying the weight of unmet expectations or unfulfilled promises. But can I remind you of this? Hope isn’t about what we see, it’s about trusting the One who sees it all and holds the future in His hands. He hasn’t forgotten you, and He hasn’t forgotten His promises. Just as the Israelites waited in anticipation for the Savior’s arrival, we, too, can hold onto the hope that God’s plans for us are good and His timing is perfect.

The beauty of Christmas is this: the waiting wasn’t wasted. Galatians 4:4 tells us, “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son.” At just the right moment in history, when the world least expected it, God fulfilled His promise through Jesus. And that same faithful God is working in your life today. The flatlands you see aren’t the end of your story. The mountains are just up ahead. Keep trusting. Keep hoping. Keep moving forward with faith, knowing that God is leading you every step of the way.

But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:24-25, NIV)

This Week’s Printable

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