Romans 15:13 - Hope, Joy and Peace are in a Relationship with Jesus.
Romans 15:13 (NLT) I pray that God, the
source of hope, will fill you completely with joy
and peace because you trust in him. Then you
will overflow with confident hope through the
power of the Holy Spirit.
INTRODUCTION
This is Paul's benediction to his letter.
[Life Application Commentary]
This is one of many beautiful appellations
given to our God in the New Testament.
[Defenders SB]
Paul prays that their faith may give them a
life full of joy and peace and hope, which are
all the results of true faith and of the
presence of the Holy Spirit. [SDA Bible Commentary]
Paul again prays for the believers (as in
15:5). This time Paul prays that the God who gives
hope will give them joy (as they anticipate what
God has in store for them) and peace (as they
rest in the assurance that God will do as he has
promised). Then, the believers can overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is by the
power of the Holy Spirit that God accomplishes his
care for his people"giving them endurance,
encouragement, unity (15:5), hope, joy, and peace. Hope
comes as a by-product of the Holy Spirit's work.
It does not come from our own senses or
experiences. [Life Application Commentary]
WORD STUDY
Hope The Greek term denotes confident
expectation or anticipation, not wishful
thinking [Nelson SB]
Hope is a unique word in Scripture,
where it indicates confident expectation.
The person with hope has complete assurance
about the future. And the overflow of the hope we
have as we trust in God fills us with joy and
peace. [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]
COMMENTARY PEARL
The Only Place to Find Hope
In 1927 an American submarine collided
with a Coast Guard vessel off the coast of
Provincetown, Mass., and began to sink. The Coast Guard
and Navy sent divers to assess the damage and
begin a rescue operation. As the divers got close
to the submarine, they heard a sailor tapping
on the hull in Morse code. He asked, Is
there hope?
Thats a fundamental question of life.
Its asked every day by countless people in
countless ways: when sitting in the doctors office
awaiting test results, when a couple puts months and
months into counseling and gets nowhere, when
dealing with a tax accountant in bankruptcy court,
or when a family hears their child is missing.
You can survive 40 days without food,
three days without water, and eight minutes
without air. But you cant last a single second
without hope. Its an essential part of life. When
hope is gone, life is over.
People everywhere are looking for hope in
all the wrong places. They look for it in their
relationships, in self-help books, in religion, and in
self-righteousness.
But there is only one place to find real
hope. The Bible says real hope is found by turning
to God: May God, the source of hope, fill
you with joy and peace through your faith in
him. Then you will overflow with hope by the
power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13 GW).
You need that kind of hope. And its
only available through a relationship with Jesus
Christ. When you trust in him, the Holy Spirit works
in you to fill you with hope that God is in
control, he loves you, and he is working for your
good.
That kind of hope will lift you from
despair and give you room to breathe. [Daily
Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
COMMENTARY
Remember the Source of Hope
HOPE. It's about looking forward, seeing
beyond the here and now, and anticipating the
future. Hope pulls the joys of the future into the
present because it believes there's more to come,
and it doesn't wait to celebrate.
God is all about hope. He is full of
hopes and dreams for us. We can see it right there
in the first chapter of his Word. He created an
ideal environment to sustain us because he
intended a future for us. Since he made us in his
image, he created us to reflect his hope-filled
character.
Even before God created us and placed his
image in us, he knew we were headed for disaster.
We're sinners, and sin is an enemy of hope.
However, God also knew himself. He is hope, which
means he reigns over every trouble that threatens
us as well as every sin we commit. He is our
ever-present reason to celebrate.
Consider these truths as you approach
your day.
Will your attitudes, words, and actions
reveal a confidence that God will continue to be
God? Not just in the Garden of Eden, not just in
Sally Somebody's life - but in your life. And not
just today, but tomorrow, next month, and years
from now.
Circumstances are never the real killers
of hope. The death of hope lies in forgetting
to focus on the One whose image you bear.
You can celebrate today, no matter what
your current circumstances look like. Life often
hurts - and you may not experience the answers or
provisions right now - but God promises you a
hope-filled future in him. [The Daily God Book By Erin
Keeley Marshall]
Make Hope Part of All You Do
At a bookstore hours from home, I noticed
the word hope in a beautiful script font on the
wall, high above the shelves of books and racks of
cards and gift items. It was an exact duplicate of
a sign I have, but this one was in white,
which would contrast more strikingly the chocolate
walls of my dining room than the black version I
already own.
I asked the salesperson to get it down
for me. Did I really need another hope sign in
my house? The other day, my college-student
grandchild told a visiting friend, "This is one of
Grammie's quirks. As you can see, she collects hope."
The white hope sign, which had a reasonable
price tag, would raise my collection to
forty-eight, if I'm counting correctly. The black version
could move to the front porch and the white
version could take its place - light against the
dark wall.
Moments later, the salesperson approached
me apologetically. "I'm so sorry, but..." As
she was boxing up the sign, it broke. Hope
broke. I wonder how many people feel that way. They
have hope, but it's busted. They still know what
it is, but they can't display it in that
condition.
The incident reminded me that real hope -
the kind rooted in Christ - is invisible but
strong. It's unbreakable. It fiercely protects the
breakthroughs we long for. It holds brokenness to keep it
from flying apart. It anchors the strongest and
most fragile vessels through the fiercest
storms.
Symbolically, I love being surrounded by
the word hope. Far more important is being held
by Jesus, hope personified. Cynthia Ruchti
Faith Step: Fill in this blank and repeat
it often throughout the day to feed your hope:
'The hope Jesus gives is _______________.
[Mornings With Jesus 2021 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
Taking A Hit 1
It's funny how we sometimes remember the
weirdest things. For example, I remember playing in a
high school football game when a huge lineman
from the other team appeared out of nowhere and
literally took me out! He hit me so hard that I'm
surprised I'm not still seeing stars. That incident
seems almost funny to me now, but I have other
memories that will never be funny. There were times
when I was hit so hard right in the heart that I
thought I would never heal.
I've learned that I may never forget the
painful hits I've taken in the past, but I can allow
God to heal them. I can forgive those who have
bowled me over either accidentally or
intentionally. I can think about those people and those
hits without my blood pressure shooting up.
God doesn't want us to live in fear. He
wants us to live confidently, courageously,
knowing that he will help us today and tomorrow,
just as he helped us overcome our wounds from the
past. None of us will ever take a hit worse than
the one Jesus took for us on the cross. Jesus
knows what it is to feel pain. He overcame his
own, and he will help us overcome ours.
Lord, I consider myself blessed to be on
your team. I know that even when I'm knocked off
my feet, you will be there to pick me up, dust
me off and send me back into the game. In
Jesus' name, Amen. [Celebrate Recovery Daily
Devotional by John & Johnny Baker]
Taking A Hit 2
I was on the phone an hour with Ray. His
wife had contacted me, distraught that he was
depressed and had been lying in bed since he broke his
neck. Ray was a former pastor and probably knew
more scripture than I did. When he didn't respond
after an hour, I took a different tact. "Did you
see the movie The Shawshank Redemption?" He
seemed surprised at my question. "Remember when
Andy DuPhrane said to his fellow prisoner,
Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things,
and no good thing ever dies... so get busy
living, or get busy dying." Ray was quiet for a long
moment then said softly, "Hope is a good thing."
From then on, he got busy living.
It's amazing how far we can go on a
little bit of hope. Hope means "I know I can make
it!" The source of all hope is none other than
Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13 says, "Looking for that
blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the
great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (KJV). No
wonder today's verse tells us to trust in "the God
of hope." From the Lord alone flows all joy and
peace. I saw hope overflow in Ray's life when he
and his wife finally came to one of our Family
Retreats. There they were, passing on hope to others!
Hope happens when we gently point people
to Jesus, whether through a few encouraging
words, a scripture in a note card, or just spending
an hour on the phone together. Today, nudge
people toward "the Blessed Hope," the Lord Jesus.
Father, because you are the God of Hope,
I have assurance that 1 can make it through
the toughest of times. Help me to pass on your
hope to a hurting friend today. [Joni Eareckson
Tada Daily Devotional:
http://www.joniandfriends.org/daily-devotional]
CLOSING THOUGHTS
The God of Hope, Joy, Peace and All the
Fruit of the Spirit
Even when our situation is full of
challenges, we can confidently pray that the God of hope
will fill us with the joy and peace that come
from believing in him. He won't let us down. And
in those moments when we feel we can't go any
farther, placing our reliance wholly on him is
crucial. We need the power of the Holy Spirit if we
want to abound in hope. He is always right there,
ready to help us when we ask.
God also asks for our participation in
the process. We can integrate faith and fitness
for maximum benefit because getting up and
moving our bodies actually lifts our mood and
alleviates anxiety, depression, and stress. Spending
time with a friend is another way to connect with
Gods hope. Consider taking a brisk and prayerful
walk with a friend. He often provides his arms of
love through those closest to us.
Joy and peace come from the God of hope.
[The Daniel Plan 365-Day Devotional]
If we keep the Lord ever before us [via
prayer, Bible study, service and worship], allowing
our hearts to go out in thanksgiving and praise
to Him, we shall have a continual freshness in
our religious life. Our prayers will take the
form of a conversation with God as we would talk
with a friend. He will speak His mysteries to us
personally. Often there will come to us a sweet joyful
sense of the presence of Jesus. Often our hearts
will burn within us as He draws nigh to commune
with us as He did with Enoch. When this is in
truth the experience of the Christian, there is
seen in his life a simplicity, a humility,
meekness, and lowliness of heart, that show to all
with whom he associates that he has been with
Jesus and learned of Him. {COL 129} words in
brackets added
Hope is a simple but confident
expectation from a God who is so much bigger than we can
imagine. Faith gives us the power to hold on to hope
whether it rains or shines. When everything seems
dark, hope is the light that comes through the
crack in the door. The Bible says, "The Lord is
good to those whose hope is in him, to the one
who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for
the salvation of the Lord.... there may be yet
hope" (Lamentations 3:25, 29).
Do you need hope? Consider going off
alone in silence, bowing, and waiting for the
Lord. There's nothing you need to say unless you
want to say it. Just be with God and let him show
you the light coming through the crack in the
door.
When we passionately wait for and
diligently seek God, he will fill us with confident
expectation that he will come through. [The Daniel Plan
365-Day Devotional]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Romans 15:13 - Finding Hope In A
Relationship With Jesus.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200418-0909.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.revelationnow.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
