Today’s Scripture: Romans 15:13, NKJV- “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Do we have hope because we believe in God, or do we believe because we have the God of hope? I am placing my trust in the God of hope instead of anything we can muster. However, I have found it to be true that the more we read God’s word the more we find hope. Romans 15:4 proves true “Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.” (NLT)
It is amazing how many people who struggle to find hope refuse to read the Bible. Daily bible reading helps us experience Romans 15:5 “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had,” As Romans 15:6 declares we learn how to glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Reading the Bible reminds us to accept other people as Jesus Christ accepts us. Loving and accepting our neighbors is how we glorify God. As Paul instructed us in Romans 15:8 the Bible helps us to “Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors.” (NLT) We are all servants.
Romans 15:11 informs us, all people of the earth are to praise the Lord. Reading all the scriptures equips us with the lessons from the prophets of old to our current days. Romans 15:12 refers to Jesus Christ as the Root of Jesse taken from the words of Isaiah 11:10 which were written approximately eight hundred years apart.
As Paul said in Romans 15:14, “I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another.” ( NIV) I write because of my desire for others to be confident in their experiences with God through prayer and Bible reading to offer His hope to others.
I am thankful for God’s servants who brought the hope of Jesus to me when I had none. We can return the favor of God to each other by sharing the signs and wonders of God we have received through the power of His Spirit and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
My prayer is that anyone who has not come to know the hope, joy, and peace of Christ can find them through consistent prayer and Bible reading. Whether you are a recovering addict or a recovering pew sitter the love of God will draw you into His hope, if only you will believe.
The hope of God is available to all people because He is the God of hope. Our mission can be the same as Paul’s as he directly quoted Romans 15:21 from Isaiah 52:15, “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” (NIV) Let us tell others from whom we have found our hope.
Time with God and His Word provides us with the God of Hope we can share.
Today’s Prayer: Heavenly Father thank You for Your servants who brought Your Word and love to us. From the days of old to today, we look towards You. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit that allows us to experience Your hope, joy, and peace. Help us LORD to share the grace and love that we have received to all others in Jesus Christ in whose name we do pray. Amen.
Leave a Reply