Advent begins with waiting. This waiting is not passive or wishful, but rather a steady expectation that God is drawing near.
As it says in the Psalms:
“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.”
Psalm 130:5
In Hebrew, this waiting is qavah – to wait with anticipation, and to be bound together like strands twisted into a strong rope. Advent waiting is not empty; it strengthens us by weaving us into God Himself.
Malcolm Guite wrote, “Advent is the season of waiting, watching and hoping for the coming of Christ.”
And this is the heartbeat of the season: we wait, with hope, for the God who still comes close.
In the Gospel of John we read of a man at Bethesda, waiting thirty-eight years beside the pool. Others were helped, but not him, year after year. Yet on an ordinary day, the fulfilment of hope Himself walked straight toward him.
Jesus didn’t forget him.
Jesus doesn’t forget you.
So as we enter these Advent weeks, we hold onto the truth that God is already at work – in the world and in the quiet corners of our lives.
Hope is moving. Hope is already on its way.
Advent reminds us that God is the God of gentle arrivals, from a manger, a star, a whisper in the dark. This qavah means we never lose our way.
You are seen.
You are held.
And Hope – strong, steady, a rope-tight Hope is here for us today.
Blue Skies & Lollipops 