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 verse is a blessing. The apostle is expressing his prayerful desire for God to pour hope into the lives of all who would read his letter.
The imagery reminds me of a decorative fountain we have in our backyard that our son Jonathan built for us when he was in high school. The water flows over a few rocks, and fills an upper pond, and then goes down to a lower pond. We enjoy the sound of the flowing water, as it is pouring down over the rocks, and cascading into the pool.
As the water recirculates, it helps keep the fountain free from algae, and mosquitoes. This keeps the pond clean, and all we need to do is resupply it with water from time to time. In a similar way, after being replenished with hope, we too can bring joy and peace to others.
The path taken by the water reminds me of this verse. We may not always be hopeful, in our natural state. Sometimes, we might even be ambivalent, and unsure. However, God's love pours into us a sense of hope. With that hope comes peace and joy. Through God, we find our lives transformed.
The hope that God pours into us is not solely for our benefit. God has designed us in such a way that the hope He places within us flows out of us, to nourish others. In a very real sense, all Christians are vessels of hope! We have the enormous privilege of sharing God’s hope, love, peace, and joy with others around us. Let the hope of God flow through you!
Prayer
Holy and loving God,
Whenever I am despondent, replenish my soul with Your hope. Open my heart to be more receptive to Your good news, especially when I am discouraged. Let Your love and hope flow into me, so that I may be transformed, changed, and renewed. Then may Your love flow from me to all who need to receive your blessings. I pray this prayer in the name of the One who is called the Hope for the nations, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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