A few weeks ago, I was reminded of how hopeless life gets for some folks. So much so that it chokes the very joy out of their being, and life seems unbearable. Siblings, we must pray that we are able to be support to such persons. If we find ourselves becoming that person, we must do for ourselves what I’m hoping we do for others: offer hope. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
Romans 15:13 CEB
[13] May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in faith so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Emmanuel: the Source of all Hope
In English, when demonstrating relationships, we sometimes bypass the preposition ‘of’. For example, rather than say a pie made of apple, we simply say an apple pie. In most cases, we do so conscious that the relationship remains, albeit implicitly. Sometimes, that isn’t the case, we are not conscious of the relationship. So, when we say, ‘I reached for the water bottle and was full’; we suggest that we were full because we drank water. We’re also assuming that the water (in the bottle) quenched our thirst and filled us up. However, others are not always consciously seeing that the filling lies in the water.
Our Nougat describes God as the God of hope. So, if the God of hope fills us with anything, I’m assuming that in the process, we are also filled with hope. With that logic, we can see a direct connection between hope, joy, peace, and faith.
Self-Check
How’s our joy level? Could we be low on hope?
Application
Hebrews 11 offers us a direct understanding of the connection between faith and hope. Faith adds body to hope, as it is hope in action. We sit, expecting that a chair will accommodate us because that’s our hope. Most times, we do so without consciously thinking about it.
Likewise, we should be at peace because we have faith in God Who is the source of hope. So, a situation may be hopeless, but our faith isn’t in the situation. Our faith is in God. In Jeremiah 32, we are reminded that nothing is hard for God. Mark 10 assures us that things and situations impossible for humans are possible with God. Thus, when faced with impossible situations, I propose we hand it over to our Source of Hope. In so doing, we are free to be at peace. Because we know God is in control, and God is with us and within us.
What steals our joy today? Let’s examine ourselves to see where we might be approaching the situation in our human strength. Worry, a major thief of joy, thrives in the absence of hope. If hope is lost, we have moved away from God’s presence … we are not with God. God is still present, but in clinging to worry, fear, and doubt, we have opted to ignore God. Usually, that is the time to refill our spirits.
Point to Ponder-Prayer
Lord, please fill us anew with your Spirit. Thank you that that also means we will be filled with hope, and refueling our joy and peace. We look to You today for our refilling and refreshing. Have Your way we pray dear Lord, amen.
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May all we seek be found in Christ
