An Overflow Of Hope

An Overflow Of Hope

I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. –Romans 15:13

How and where do we get the hope to believe something we can’t see, promised by someone we have never seen? How can we have that kind of certainty to place our hopes on the Resurrection when we have never seen anyone come back to life? Is hope like this only for optimistic people? Only for those spiritually elite among us who seem to be able to swallow the spiritual realities that get stuck in the throat of some of the rest of us?

The Holy Spirit provides the biblical hope we need to believe. Through the power of the Holy Spirit you can be certain that what you can’t see is really true. You can live with the peace and confidence that the salvation Jesus has provided for you is sure and sufficient, no matter what your circumstances. It is as if the Holy Spirit whispers to our spirit: I am here, and the salvation I provide is not only for eternity but for now. It is bigger than the loss of your job, the addiction of your loved one, the depression that plagues you. You can’t see it, but it is sure.

When you place your faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling within you, giving you ears to hear what God has said, eyes to see what is certain but not yet realized, and an inner confidence that you can trust what God has done and what he will do to secure your eternal future with him.

People with strong hope are not just those with a natural disposition to believe for the best. People with strong hope are those who are on a continual quest to move out their own agenda and desires and fears so that the Holy Spirit might move in and indwell them more fully, bringing with him an overflow of hope that, according to Romans 15:13, will “keep you happy and full of peace.” Isn’t that what you want even now? Come, Holy Spirit!

Spirit of peace, I just can’t do it on my own. How I want to be full of you and the hope only you can provide. Show me what lesser saviors and securities need to be removed so my heart and mind and life can be filled more fully with you.

DIGGING DEEPER