THE GOD OF HOPE
Picture this in your mind; your car has an empty tank. The orange light warning that you’ll soon be right out of fuel has been flashing for over half an hour. But where is the nearest garage? You have never been to this part of the country before. You are leaning forward in your seat with tension. Then, coming around a bend, you see a sign for a filling station and you shout aloud with delight. You drive in and stop at the pumps. An attendant comes along and you say to him, “Fill it up!” One of the most practical verses for us all as we navigate life’s challenges is Romans 15:13. This verse records Paul’s prayer for the Romans “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”. The Roman epistle was written to the entire congregation in Rome; to the weak believers as well as the strong. Romans 15:13 is a wonderful prayer that Paul is praying for every one of them. Paul does not pray that they