Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Be Filled With Hope

"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 NIV)

Hope is God's word that defeats all impossibilities. We know that God will work out all things for us in ways that are greater than anything we have ever thought or imagined possible. This confidence is due to the knowledge that "nothing is impossible with God" and "all things work together for good" to us.

God knows us by name and has our best interests in mind when asking us to trust him. He is with us and will "never leave nor forsake" us. His joy is our strength and his peace surpasses our understanding. He is our shepherd who provides all our needs. He protects us from all harm and danger. His blessings are too numerous to recount.

We may be fed up with suffering and distress . . . Be filled with hope!  We may wish all adversity and misfortune was gone . . . Be filled with hope! Perhaps we can't see any light at the end of our tunnel . . . Be filled with hope!

The struggles of this life warm the soul because they verify that victory is not by human might or power but by "my Spirit saith the Lord of hosts." People who claim to always be up and never down confuse me. Of course, a positive attitude and vocabulary is better than negativity all the time. No one wants to hang out with a depressing spirit, but I am encouraged to know that I am not alone in this struggle of life.

Yet, there must be more to our Christianity than mere candor. What about a steadfast faith? What about clinging to the most powerful hand of God? What about talking with God night and day? What about refusing to give up? What about praying without ceasing? What about believing God no matter what?

It is good to know that we are not the only one who struggles, but God's peace and joy strengthen our grip on God in the midst of the struggle. The hope we have in him reminds us to never let go of him.

Dear Father, thank you for your peace and joy. Grant that we may live with an overflowing hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN

Be strong and courageous today filled with hope,

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