| Romans 15:13 - The God of Hope Will Fill You with Joy and Peace | |||
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"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13)
Do you overflow with hope? Is hope bubbling up, spilling over and infecting everyone around you? Hope can be described as happy anticipation of good which is coming for the believer. This comes from knowing God because he is the author of hope so the more we walk with him the more this hope will overflow in our lives and others around us will take notice. Jesus told the woman at the well an amazing truth concerning this when he offered her living water, he told her, "whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14). Eternal life is something you possess right now if you are born again (John 3:36, I John 5:13). It is not something we wait for but something we currently have through faith in Christ. Jesus defined eternal life in John 17, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17:3). It is not only a future in heaven, but it is knowing God the Father and God the Son in such a way that living water (hope) overflows into your life and bubbles up, spills over and cannot be contained. Paul writes to the Romans "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him". Trust is something that is learned and experienced. The further we walk in fellowship with the Lord the more we know him and understand his will and desires concerning us. He fills us with joy and peace in His presence. Joy is the source of happiness; it is more than a feeling. It is the ability to be content and joyful in every circumstance. Hebrews says that Jesus was anointed with the oil of joy (Hebrews 1:9, Psalm 45:7). Meaning; there has never been anyone more full of joy than Jesus. As his children it makes sense that we are also anointed and filled full of joy for this life. Peace is harmony in our relationships, but beyond that it can also be understood as a treaty or agreement to cease hostilities. As God fills you with his peace, you will understand that you are at peace with Him. He is not angry at you for sin, he does not look at you as a filthy sinner, instead he sees you as he sees Jesus (Ephesians 4:24, 1 John 4:17). These things are necessary for this life. The author of hope is able to fill you to overflowing with these things as you learn to trust him and experience Him by faith. An amazing truth is that this all happens on a supernatural level by the power of the Holy Spirit living inside you as a believer. This hope that Paul is describing is supernatural, it is not based on feelings. This means how you feel cannot dictate whether or not you experience this hope. The hope is given by God and you have it. When we walk with the Lord, the anticipation of future things builds and builds until it overflows in your life. Remember God is the author of hope and he has given you eternal life, which is knowing him in a personal and intimate way. We experience this life by faith and the more we practice it the more this joy, peace and hope will spill out into the natural realm of our lives. Today, I pray that you renew your mind to this wonderful truth from God's word. Like Paul, my prayer for you is that you are filled to overflowing with the hope that is yours in Christ Jesus. May you experience his power, his joy and his peace today as you walk in fellowship with Him, amen.          |
