Tag: hope
Abounding in Hope!
Scripture reading for August 1st: Romans 15:1-22
Paul concludes this letter with another admonition to the strong in faith. They are to bear with the failings of the weak and not just seek to please themselves. Our goal should be to build up our neighbors, not judge them! (Romans 15:1-2) Jesus set the example for us by offering Himself in our place to take the penalty of our sins! What we deserved fell on Him.
God wants His people to dwell together in unity and hope as they follow Christ! (Romans 15:5-6) The Scriptures teach us how to have hope by the stories of God’s miraculous power and by the record of Christ’s example. Jesus prayed for His disciples and those who would follow Him from their ministry. “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You.” (John 17:20-21) Unity is maintained as we walk in the Spirit and allow the Word to dwell in us. We have hope for the future because of the promises of God for those who believe. The best is yet to come!
Both Jew and Gentile must accept one another because Christ accepted them both! “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13) This is the practical benediction to Paul’s letter to this group of Roman believers. What an encouragement it is to them to hear from the Apostle Paul that God is a God of hope! He wants all believers to be filled with joy and peace as they trust in Christ for their every need. As they are filled with the Holy Spirit, the power of God’s hope will bring them encouragement and perseverance through any and all trials.
As you think about this passage today, remind yourself that God is the God of all hope! Hope is not found in our world or it’s leaders. Their promises may or may not come true. But God has the power and ability to make good on His every word! Hope abounds in Our Lord forever!
More than conquerors!
Scripture reading for July 24th: Romans 8:24-39
Winning teams are composed of outstanding individual players who work well together. Paul describes our winning team that will enable us to be more than conquerors! We know about this team by faith in what God has told us! As we read about this team, let new faith arise in God’s wonderful care for you.
We have been adopted into God’s family and now are waiting in hope for the redemption of our bodies. All of creation is awaiting this glorious change. God has given us the Spirit to help us through this waiting time and the sufferings that we go through here on earth. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” (Romans 8:26-27) The Holy Spirit is on our winning team! He is helping us through prayer to see all things work for our good and God’s purposes!
Also on our winning team is God the Father. “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all–how will he not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32) God is on our side, providing for all our needs. Our greatest need was forgiveness of sins and God supplied this at the cost of His own Son! We can trust Him to provide whatever we need and give us an eternal inheritance that He has promised as well!
We have not only the Father and Spirit on our winning team, but also the Son of God! Jesus Christ has ascended to heaven and is at the Father’s right hand. There He is praying for us and showering us with love! What an amazing team we are a part of! The Holy Trinity insures that we are more than conquerors in any battle we will face! There is no trouble, persecution, sickness or demon from hell who can separate us from our winning team! That should give us hope and make us shout!