Today I will continue my current series entitled, REASONS WHY NOT TO FEAR!
Here is Reason #20 why NOT to fear: Our HOPE is in God! Let’s talk about it.
(Rom 15:13 NASB)
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.
So what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. Frustration is the enemy of HOPE!
The definition of frustration is: “A feeling of dissatisfaction, often accompanied by anxiety or depression, resulting from unfulfilled needs or unresolved problems.” That definition says it all. In the Body of Christ, I frequently run across people, good people, well-intentioned people, who fit this description to a tee. And this was the case BEFORE COVID-19. I know people who were dissatisfied with the church, with God, with themselves, and with their lives in general. When you add a global pandemic to the equation, it is easy to see how many people, even Christians, are battle thoughts of dissatisfaction, worry, fear, and even depression.
What happened to them? Somewhere along the way, they lost their hope. They gave up on their situation and dismissed their expectation. Paul warned us not to be ignorant of the devil’s schemes, because if we are he will get an advantage over us (2nd Cor 2:11). One of the greatest schemes of the devil uses to stop you from believing God is to tell you that “it” won’t happen. The enemy wants you to get frustrated to the point where you give up on whatever you were believing God for. Especially right now, while many businesses are closed and while many Christians are filing for unemployment, the devil is busy and he is trying to get believers to STOP believing. Don’t let this be you! If satan can get YOU to stop believing, then YOU literally stop yourself from receiving God’s promises. Frustration is the enemy of hope.
2. HOPE is required to live a life of faith.
The definition for hope is: “The feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best; to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence; to believe, desire, or trust; to feel that something desired may happen.” Hope is powerful. Hope is necessary. Hope is required for the believer. Now, you may be thinking, “But Rick, I thought faith is what is required or the believer, not hope.” The truth is that both are required. If you lose your hope you will never get to faith. Faith adds substance to what you are hoping for (Heb 11:1). Faith puts the meat on the bones of hope. If you lose your hope, you have forfeited your opportunity to exercise faith.
I love the fact that Paul called God “The God of hope” (Romans 15:13). He is that indeed. Our God is a God who wants you to believe! He wants you to expect that He will do what He said He would do. He wants you to look forward to every day of your life with divine desire and reasonable confidence. He wants you to dream God-sized dreams and to watch Him help you to bring them to pass! No matter what is going on in the world, never lose your HOPE!
3. Our God is the God of HOPE!
Paul said, “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.” (Romans 15:13). God is the God of hope. At this moment, while you are reading this, I pray that God will resurrect dead dreams, aborted ideas, and prematurely-terminated plans. My prayer is that God rekindles the flame of your hope, that your hope would be strong, that you would bubble over with overwhelming joy on a daily basis, that you would enter every day with great expectation, and that you would enjoy the stability that comes from walking in God’s overwhelming peace.
4. Our HOPE is in God and not in man!
Right now the world seems to be glued to the television. People are watching reports of COVID-19 seemingly day and night. The leaders of the world health organizations are ‘front and center’ on every television station. Healthcare workers are working 20hr days. People are doing the best they can. Those working on developing a vaccine are tirelessly trying method after method. Those working to provide healthcare to the sick are working around the clock. We should pray for them. We should ask God to give them wisdom and strength. We should pray for their mental health and stamina. But one thing we should not do is put our hope and confidence in them. As smart as many of the people are who are working to fight against COVID-19, human wisdom will never compare to God’s. Our hope and confidence must be in God and not in man.
Since my hope and confidence is in God and not in man, my hope never dissipates!
Since my hope and confidence is in God and not in man, I will never be disappointed!
We serve a God who will never leave us, never forsake us, and never turn His back on us. The same God who saw us through everything else we have ever battled with in life will see us through this!
Paul said, “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.” (Romans 15:13).
I will close out the week with a few quick takeaways from this verse.
a) Our God is the God of hope and He can FILL you with JOY and PEACE!
b) As God fills you with JOY and PEACE, you are able to ABOUND IN HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit!
c) The reason why God fills you with JOY and PEACE, and the reason why God wants you to ABOUND IN HOPE, is so that you will continue to BELIEVE Him! No matter what is going on in the world, never stop believing.
d) If you keep your HOPE in God (the God of hope), and not in man, you will never get to the point where you feel HOPELESS. This is a major reminder for the world today!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I keep hope alive in my life by keeping my hope in You and You alone! You are my God and I know You to be the God of hope! You fill me with JOY and PEACE. You cause me to ABOUND IN HOPE! You enable me to get past the past failures and current frustrations in order to dream and believe again. You resurrect my dead dreams. You lead me to bring back aborted ideas and prematurely-terminated plans to the surface of my mind and my heart. And as my HOPE is established in You, You enable me to use the stumbling blocks of the past as the stepping stones to the future! I break the back of frustration and I look forward-ever with Joy and Peace in Believing! I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
