“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.” – Romans 15:13
I remember my mom pulling up to the gas station when I was a child and telling the attendant to “Fill it up.” Now that I’m an adult, there are important items I like to fill up–such as my morning cup of coffee. And I think about how my kids always want their soda or iced tea filled up.
The thought of being filled usually communicates a positive message. It implies having so much of something that any more would overflow. It conveys a sense of satisfaction and completeness.
But when it comes to joy and peace in our daily lives, we often feel less than filled–sometimes even empty. We walk around with sadness etched on our faces because joy has become a forgotten treasure. Stress robs us of sleep as we long for peace yet don’t follow God’s instructions to receive it (see Philippians 4:6-7).
The God of hope wants to fill us … with ALL joy and peace. As we place our confidence in the Lord and entrust every experience to Him, joy and peace start rising. They flow up within us until we abound in hope … all by the power of the Holy Spirit. He dwells in every Christian and works mightily within us … with the same power used to raise Christ from the dead (see Ephesians 1:19-20 & 3:20).
Dear friend, are you running on empty today? You don’t have to. Allow the God of hope to fill you with joy and peace. Trust in the living God–No. Matter. What. Open your heart to the Holy Spirit’s gentle nudge and embrace hope once again.
Loving Father in heaven, please forgive me for the times I lose sight of You. The times I forget or underestimate Your power. Please fill me up with joy and peace as I choose right now to trust You despite my circumstances. And thank You … thank You for the hope, oh Holy Spirit, that I feel growing within me. In Jesus’ beloved name I pray, Amen.
“And as Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD … But Moses said to the people. ‘Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today …” – Exodus 14:10, 13
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