In our home, Christmas never simply arrives. It is anticipated. The days are counted, plans are whispered, and excitement builds as the calendar slowly moves closer to the morning everyone is waiting for. There is something beautiful about watching children hope so freely. They believe the promise because they trust the one who made it. Their joy begins long before the gift is opened. In many ways, their anticipation reflects the way God invites His people to live, not merely looking backward at what He has done, but forward with confident hope in what He has promised to do.
At Christmas we celebrate that God kept His promise by sending His Son into the world. The angel declared to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10–11, NKJV). Jesus did not come as a conquering king, but as a humble child, wrapped in flesh, dwelling among us. The miracle of the manger reminds us that God enters our ordinary world with extraordinary grace. Every ornament, hymn, and candle points us back to the moment when heaven touched earth.
Yet Christmas does more than remind us that Jesus came. It awakens our hearts to remember that He is coming again. Before leaving His disciples, Jesus promised, “I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3, NKJV). The same faithful God who fulfilled His promise in Bethlehem will fulfill His promise in glory. Scripture calls this our blessed hope, the day when Christ will return, restore what sin has broken, and dwell fully with His people forever (Titus 2:13).
Our children teach us something important about this kind of waiting. They do not wait with fear or doubt, but with eager expectation. They imagine what is coming, talk about it often, and let their excitement shape their attitude today. The Bible describes this kind of hope when it says, “For we were saved in this hope… we eagerly wait for it with perseverance” (Romans 8:24–25, NKJV). Christian hope is not wishful thinking. It is confident trust in a promise keeping Savior. Because Jesus came once, we can be certain He will come again.
This hope shapes how we live while we wait. Knowing that Christ will return encourages us to love generously, forgive quickly, walk in obedience, and keep our hearts fixed on eternal things. We do not prepare for His coming by decorating our homes, but by preparing our hearts. Each act of kindness, each moment of faithfulness, and each quiet prayer becomes a way of saying, “Lord, we are ready for You.” As Revelation reminds us, “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me” (Revelation 22:12, NKJV).
As we watch our children wait eagerly for Christmas morning, may God use their wonder to awaken our own. Let the excitement in their eyes remind us that the greatest celebration is still ahead. Jesus has come. Jesus is with us. And Jesus will come again. Until that day, we wait, not with impatience or fear, but with joyful, confident hope, trusting the Savior who never fails to keep His promises. As we celebrate His first coming and long for His return, are our hearts living with the same eager expectation, faithful obedience, and joyful readiness that we so easily see in our children?
So I ask, what is your hope in?
Frank D.