“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace as you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13 NLT)
I was taken aback a bit when I read it in John Eldredge’s Restoration Year; “He is eager to fill your heart with hope.” I guess I’d never give it much thought before, that the God of all hope is eager to fill our hearts with hope.
I filled my car up with gas last night. It’s a hated task, one that my husband often does for me because after almost 22 years of marriage, we still share a car. The thing is, no matter how many times we fill it, it eventually needs gas again. I suppose our hearts are the same: we burn off hope, we leak, we give it away. Like our little Volvo, we have to keep going to back to the source to get more.
Hope is essential in life. And because it’s essential, it’s ok to pray for hope, for yourself and for others along the journey.
Look around your world today. Consider the family gathering around your family table in the days ahead. Who needs hope? Do you have enough to offer your surplus to others? Or is hope in the same sort of shortage as time and money?
Paul prayed for an overflow of hope for his friends, and maybe a little bit for himself. Today that is my Christmas prayer for you and for me.
Lord, You alone know the current levels hope among believers. And likewise, You know what hope we are capable of containing. Fill us up this Christmas. Overflow us with Your Spirit, who produces hope in every fiber of our being. Bless us with hope to spare for the folks we encounter this season. Amen.
Thank you for these words of encouragement. We all sure do need hope &God gives us hope if I put my faith in Him. Have a blessed holiday season! So enjoy seeing your posts-still seems like you are here!🤗
Thank you, Sandi. The internet sure helps the world seem smaller. I appreciate the encouragement. Love and miss you! Merry Christmas!