Refine Our Hearts
“As we yearn for Your coming, refine our hearts' deepest hope.”
Romans 15:13 (ESV)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
The season we find ourselves in is marked by a profound longing - a yearning for the coming of Christ, the promised Messiah who will restore all things. This yearning starkly contrasts the flurry of activity and temporary distractions that often characterize this time of year. Even as we eagerly anticipate His arrival, our hearts can become cluttered with lesser hopes, fleeting pleasures that pale compared to the true hope in Jesus.
The prophet Jeremiah spoke of a transformative day when God would "put [His] law within them, and [He] will write it on their hearts" (Jeremiah 31:33). This is the sacred work that takes place during Advent - allowing God to refine and purify the deepest hopes of our hearts, stripping away all that is shallow or fleeting. Christ desires to reorder our loves, to realign our longings with His perfect plan.
While we eagerly await, the Lord invites us to open our hearts to His searching gaze. He longs to reveal any false or fading hopes that have taken root within us. Are we placing our trust in the passing pleasures of this world, or are we anchoring our souls in God's eternal promises? Have we confused our temporary desires with our deepest longings, allowing lesser things to crowd out the hope found in Christ alone?
This Advent season, we are encouraged to surrender our lesser hopes, broken dreams, and shattered expectations. The Lord desires to replace them with a hope that does not disappoint, a hope that is "steadfast and sure" (Hebrews 6:19). Christ's arrival ushers in a new era of redemption, restoration, and eternal life - the fulfillment of God's ancient promises.
By yielding our hearts to the refining work of the Holy Spirit, our yearning for Christ's return can become the defining passion of our lives. The Savior bids us to fix our eyes on the horizon, watching and waiting with hopeful anticipation for the dawn of His arrival, for He alone can satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart, redeeming our past, renewing our present, and securing our eternal future.
The journey of Advent invites us to surrender our agendas and ambitions, allowing the Lord to recalibrate our hearts to beat in sync with His perfect purposes. Our desires will be refined and reshaped, reoriented to long for the triumph of justice, the reign of the Prince of Peace, and the restoration of all things. In this sacred process of realignment, we discover the profound joy and lasting peace that can only be found in a life wholly surrendered to God. As we await the fulfillment of God's promises, may our longings be purified, our hopes restored, and our lives reflect the heart of our Heavenly Father. In this alignment of our desires with His, we will find the deep and lasting joy that Christ's coming brings.
Take a moment to reread today’s Scripture passage and then spend some time reflecting on the following questions:
Romans 15:13 (ESV)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
What hopes or expectations are you clinging to this Advent season? How can you surrender those to God, allowing Him to refine your deepest hope and reorient your heart toward the promises of Christ?