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. – Romans 15:13
In these days of masks and face coverings, the missing piece is the smile on someone’s face. Sometimes you can see it in their eyes, but almost always, any indication of emotion is hidden. It is for these times that the directives of Romans 15 should shine forth. God’s Word says that the strong should bear with the failings of the weak, “that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (verses 1-4). Because of that, the believer is unique; even despite trials and sufferings, the Holy Spirit will bring the joy of salvation into their heart.
Joy, like peace, is rooted in trust in the Lord. The Old Testament is filled with examples of the believers coming together for worship and praise of God for having delivered them when troubles came. It was their recollection of all He had done that gave them a confident expectation of His continued care of them. In the New Testament, believers respond with loving obedience to the Savior who has enabled them to have joyful fellowship with the Father independent of their circumstances.
Dear one, by believing and by prayer, the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to see all the goodness the Lord will give you – hope, joy, peace, power, abundance! An old hymn says it well: “O what peace we often forfeit/O what needless pain we bear/All because we do not carry/Everything to God in prayer.” May your prayers bring about conviction in people’s hearts in America, that they may know the God of hope personally. And may those in power know the Lord and seek the peace and joy only He can give.
Today’s Verse: Romans 15:13
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.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: Romans 15:1-7, 12-13
We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
And again Isaiah says,
“The root of Jesse will come,
even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”
13 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.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
