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 (ESV)
Recently I found myself praying in a new way. I spent time pleading with God to bless me with abounding hope. I wanted and needed him to appear to me as he did after his resurrection to his twelve disciples, to more than 500 followers at one time and even to Paul who described himself as the least of all the apostles (1Corinthians 15:6-9). I felt a little like Jacob who said in the midst of wrestling with God, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Genesis 33:26b). I needed to trust that God had equipped me for the ministry ahead. As I prayed for my hope to abound, I recalled Paul’s blessing to the church in Rome.
I am not the source of hope, God is. Because of this deep, abiding truth, I confidently trust that by the power of the Holy Spirit I will dwell in the midst of the God of all hope each new day. My desire is to overflow with joy and peace, and ultimately with a radiant hope that resides in the belief that Christ has risen indeed!
Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy,
fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives,
filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit,
will brim over with hope!
~Romans 15:13 (MSG)
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