Romans 15:13
[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. (ESV)
There are some wonderful truths for us to unpack in this truth. The first thing that Paul mentions is the God of all hope. There are many ways that we can describe the character and nature of our wonderful God. He is just, loving, merciful, gracious, kind forgiving, holy, righteous, faithful, patient, etc. Here Paul is emphasizing the fact that he is the God of hope!
This world is in desperate need of hope. People are overwhelmed by the despair that comes from focusing on our circumstances. Men have given up hope and committed suicide. Others live a life of continual depression. God is the source of hope for any who will look to him. We cannot find genuine hope in any other source.
Paul prays that we would be filled with all joy and peace in believing. Joy and peace are not based on circumstances. They are found in the source of joy and peace; God himself. How do we access this joy and peace? By believing in God. For us to truly know what to believe about God we must turn to His written Word, the Bible. It is his direct revelation of himself to mankind.
When we place our belief in what the Word of God says about God we are able to abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. What is significant for us to acknowledge is that the Holy Spirit is the author of the Word of God. So, it is no coincidence that the Holy Spirit helps us to abound in hope as we believe the very words that he has given to us concerning God, who is the Spirit.
I hope you experience God's hope! It is available to you as you draw close to the source of hope, God himself. You can learn about him in his Word, the Bible.
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