Abundant Hope

Mar 19, 2020
“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.”

Romans 15:13

Paul’s prayer is not merely for the first century Church in Rome, but one that echoes through the halls of history and reaches to us today.

We all experience feelings of hopelessness or face situations that seem futile. We tend to look to people, systems, and material things for peace of mind only to find out that they do not satisfy. However, as those who follow the risen Lord, we have a relationship with the One who is Himself the fountain of all true joy and peace.

God is the God of hope . He is the source, both the author and the object of it. In Him, we can place our complete trust. We can rest in the fact that He is constant and His promises are true.

 

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ defeated hopelessness. The salvation and victory we have in Him conquers despair. This is why, even in times of suffering, we can persevere because we are sure of our eternal future. 

 

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Romans 5:1-4

 

And this abundant hope cannot be experienced on our own. We cannot will it or achieve it through striving. It is only made accessible by the power of the Holy Spirit , so we must give Him the credit.

 

As Paul writes about in 2 Corinthians 3, through Christ, we are confident in our relationship with God, our future, and as ministers of the new covenant. The natural product of this is boldness . 

May we boldly share with those who have not experienced the hope of Christ. May we live out the realities of the resurrection today and tomorrow.

“Hope, for the Christian, is not wishful thinking or mere blind optimism. It is a mode of knowing, a mode within which new things are possible, options are not shut down, new creation can happen.”

N.T. Wright, Suprised By Hope

Written by Mandy Sullivan

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