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 have a little bit of joy and peace trickling into their life now and then. Rather, he prays that the God of hope will FILL them with ALL joy and peace so that they will OVERFLOW with hope. Paul piles up these superlatives to show us what God can and wants to give us. We should not settle for partial or seasonal joy, peace and hope. We should ask God to always fill us to the brim; until we overflow.

Paul gives God comforting titles in this epistle. In Romans 15:5 Paul describes him as “the God who gives endurance and encouragement”. In Romans 15:33 and 16:20 Paul describes Him as “the God of peace”. In Romans 15:13 Paul calls him the “God of hope” who fills people with joy and peace. A common factor among those who are depressed is that they lack hope. Discouraged people and those who are apathetic about life also lack hope. The God of hope wants believers to be so full of hope that it overflows out of their lives and spills over to the people around them.

Paul mentions hope in Romans more than in any of his other letters. In Romans 4:18 we read of Abraham who in hope against hope believed, so that he might become a father of many nations. In 5:1-5, Paul says since we have been justified through faith we have peace with God and we glory in our suffering  because we know that suffering  produces perseverance and perseverance character and  character, hope; and hope does not disappoint.

Worldly hope sometime disappoints as many people have found out. Promises and assurances given may not be honored in the future because of all sorts of reason. Hope in this life always leaves the fear of something intervening to destroy the blessing that is hoped for. But, the Christian hope is sure and certain. The reason for this is that this hope does not depend on man or worldly forces. It’s based on what the Almighty and faithful God has declared and his word cannot be broken.

The word hope in verse Romans  15:13 links back with hope in verse 12 which talks about Christ“ In Him shall the Gentiles hope.” This means that if you have not come to Jesus and put your trust in Him, then you are without hope and without God in the world (Eph.2:12). What a bleak description of life without Christ!  This earthly life has to come to an end for every human being, however long they may live. It is 100 percent certain that you are going to die someday, no matter how healthy you are today.

Fear of death is because we fear what is in store for us in eternity. Without Christ you don’t have any hope beyond the grave (1 Thess. 4:13), but only “the terrifying expectation of judgment” (Heb. 10:27). The culmination of biblical hope is a glorious eternal life in heaven someday. This hope brings into our mind and heart, a sense of peace and joy because we know that our future is secure in Christ.

We experience joy, peace and the hope of glory by living in the presence of Jesus. There is much peace and joy when walking through life with Jesus Christ as our friend. We know that our heavenly Father is not only watching over us, but guarding us from danger and with perfect wisdom ordering our lives for our eternal good. Nothing ever happen to us by chance; all things that enter our lives have been allowed by an all-wise and all-gracious Father.

The peace that Paul is talking about is not a positive outlook that denies the reality of sorrow or genuine concern. Biblical peace comes from taking all of our anxieties to God in prayer (Phil. 4:6-7). Paul calls it peace in believing; it comes from a resting assurance that God will fulfill his promises to us. We find those promises in Scripture, which is why Paul said that the Scriptures give us hope (Rom 15:4). As we diligently read the Bible, meditate, pray and practice what it instructs we get peace and joy.

To get the kind of faith that helps us abound in hope even in the midst of trials we need to know God and His ways. The Word shows God to be faithful to His people in all sorts of trials and in all generations. Knowing God and His ways through His Word will show you that He is completely trustworthy. We also need to choose to believe God in spite of circumstances. After Nebuchadnezzar’s army destroyed Jerusalem and slaughtered many Israelites, Jeremiah lamented, but then he directed his thoughts toward God (Lam. 3:21-26).

Peace and joy in believing is strengthened by looking away from the world and turning our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. When doubts assail us there is no better balm for our souls than to seek God in his word. The rule of life is that the strongest and most assured Christians are those who spend much time in secret with God alone. The promise is that when we draw near to God he will draw near to us (James 4:8, Heb. 10:22).

Joy, peace and abounding hope is given by God through the Holy Spirit. The “kingdom of God is…righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom.  14:17). Joy and peace are listed as Fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5: 22). Holy Spirit-produced joy and peace do not come from being in favorable circumstances where just about anyone would be joyful and full of peace. They are most noticeable in a situation where almost everyone would be depressed, but the Spirit-filled believer is full of joy and peace in God.

Would your family or friends describe you as being filled with all joy and peace in believing and abounding in hope?”God’s wish for his people is to always have as much joy and peace as their vessels can hold in this world. Many have not lived up to this and in consequence have led the world to associate the idea of sadness with Christianity. It is our duty to have peace, joy and hope. Let us come to God with great expectations, for it is His delight to give. He is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine according to his power which is at work within us (Eph. 3:20).

At this time when we are in the midst of a great pandemic, our hope rests completely in God and his promises. He “saves the poor from the sword, from their mouth and from the hand of the mighty. So the poor has hope” (Job 5:15-16). Be strong and take heart all you who hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:24).  He has delivered us from a deadly peril and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us (2Cor 1:10). Let us fix our hope on the living God who is the savior of all men, especially of believers (1 Tim 4:10)