Hope in the Season of Waiting

Advent is a season of hope, a time when we light candles, reflect on promises, and lean into the anticipation of something new and transformative breaking into our lives. But hope can feel like a fragile thing, especially in seasons of struggle or uncertainty. What does it mean to have hope when life feels bare, like the fields in the prophet Joel’s time, destroyed by locusts and famine?

Joel’s message, written in the aftermath of exile and devastation, calls us to something extraordinary: repentance and renewal. Not just an emotional response, but a complete reorientation of our hearts, minds, and lives. Joel says, “Return to the Lord, your God, for God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love” (Joel 2:13). This is the foundation of our hope, not what we can do, but who God is.

Hope begins with God. In Joel’s day, the people were called to “rend their hearts” instead of their garments, to stop just going through the motions of faith and instead lean into a God who hopes for an authentic relationship. The same call extends to us today. Where in our lives have we gone through the motions? What would it look like to return to God with our whole hearts?

This season, let’s take time to reflect on what has become lifeless or hollow in our faith or daily lives. Perhaps it’s a habit of prayer that feels stale or relationships that need healing. The act of “returning” doesn’t mean staying in guilt but trusting in God’s readiness to restore and renew.

Advent reminds us that God works in the waiting. Joel’s prophecy includes a vision of the future: “I will pour out my Spirit on all people... Your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions” (Joel 2:28). This promise isn’t confined to a distant someday, it begins now. God’s Spirit is already moving among us, calling us to dream big and act boldly.

In the midst of busy schedules, uncertainties, or even heartaches, how might we make space to dream? Maybe it’s as simple as keeping a journal by your bedside to capture your dreams, or carving out time to pray over the world news, or lifting up people and situations in need of hope.

Advent hope is not passive, it invites participation. When we repent, reorient, and return to God, we also align ourselves with God’s vision for the world. Joel’s call to repentance isn’t just about individual lives; it’s about the restoration of the whole community.

As we light the Advent candles this season, let each flame remind us of God’s unchanging love and faithfulness. The God who brought the people of Judah back from exile, who promised to pour out the Spirit, is the same God who meets us in our brokenness and calls us to new life.

Let’s live as people of hope, not just waiting for the day of the Lord but participating in it here and now. Amen.