Romans 15:13 ERV “I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Read more on Bible.com
I found this gem of a verse last night. I had trouble sleeping. My mind was uneasy. To calm it all down, I asked the Holy Spirit, “Give me a scripture, please. Speak to me.” I was going to look up Bible verses on the Holy Spirit, and this was one of the first that came up in my search. I stayed on it and didn’t move, lol.
Meditation is such a cool practice. I should do it more. It’s intentionally turning your mind away from distractions, at least for me. It’s rolling the scripture you’re meditating on over and over in your mind. Turning it over, looking under. Anything hiding there? Poke it a little here and there. Kind of like how you would when you find something on the beach or in a treasure hunt.
So back to my precious verse. God is the source of hope. Hope comes from Him. Hope is a feeling of expectation or desire that a certain thing will happen. In the absence of hope is hopelessness. Oooo, I’ve been there a few times. Actually, more times than I can count!
Hopelessness is a dark place, at least for me. The sun doesn’t shine there. There’s such a heavy sense of resignation, one that says very loudly, “It will always be like this. No one’s coming to get you. Things will never change.” For good measure, a couple of attacks on your self-esteem might get thrown in too. “You deserve this mess because you’re a terrible person,” etc., etc. “Change is coming? Haha! You’re funny. What change?! Change will never come!!!”
But God is the source of hope. The expecting and believing that this is not the end. Something better is coming. Salvation is here. When we turn to Him in those dark, dark moments of hopelessness, it is He who breaks the darkness with the light of His promises. Oh yes! “I’m coming to get you. Oh yes, this too will come to pass. Oh yes, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Oh yes, I am able to do exceedingly, abundantly, far above all you can ask or imagine. Oh yes, I will lead you beside the still waters, and I will restore your soul.” Oh yes!
Not only does He send the light of His word to break the thick, thick darkness, He promises to fill us with joy and peace as we wait. To replace the heaviness with lightness of heart, His joy, and His peace. As we trust Him. As we wait for the promises to come to pass. “Oh Lord, fill me with much joy and peace as I trust you. As I wait for you.” Then we’ll have more and more hope until it flows out of us by the power of the Spirit.
Lord, I no longer want to be this morose figure, walking around feeling hopeless. Fill me with your joy and your peace. Today and tomorrow and the day after that. Your joy and your peace, Lord, till hope overflows in my heart, chasing the darkness away for good. Amen.
