Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. —Isaiah 43:1-2

When commercial fisherman John Aldridge went sprawling overboard 40 miles off the coast of New York in 2017, he knew his partner, Anthony Sosinski, sleeping belowdecks would never hear his cries for help. When the boat motored ahead on autopilot and disappeared over the crest of a wave, Aldridge knew he was alone. As he tread water in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean without a life vest, he knew this was the way he would die.
But then he discovered that he could create an air pocket in his fishing boots. They floated. It was a flicker of hope to literally cling to. Aldridge made it through the night. He eventually spotted a fishing buoy and was able to cling to it. Twelve hours after he had fallen into the sea, a Coast Guard helicopter pulled Aldridge to safety. Against all hope, the man overboard survived.
Sometimes we just need something, one thing, to cling to in the darkness and the depths. God’s Word is filled with promises, such as Isaiah 43:1-2 above. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” In Jeremiah 29:11, we’re told, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God has given us hope we can cling to. No matter what we are facing, we can turn to the Bible and find His words come alive to renew hope within us.
Ask yourself these questions?
What Bible verses are speaking to you today?
What Scripture can you write down or memorize as a source of renewed hope?
Write the answers down in you advent journal.