Hearing His Voice #253

I [Paul] 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.

Romans 15:13

These words are Scripture. This means that even though they were written by Paul, they are also God’s words. They express His heart for each of us: that the source of hope would fill us completely with joy and peace so we could overflow with hope through the power of His Spirit. This is the fertile ground for hearing God’s voice, as well as a matchless description of what He sounds like. When our hearts are saturated with hope, joy, and peace, we are primed to hear Him well; and when we hear Him, He will almost always include words of hope, joy, and peace.

That doesn’t mean God will never correct us, of course; we’ve seen too many times in Scripture when He spoke uncomfortable truths to His people. Neither does it mean He will tell us only what we want to hear. It does mean that He will speak the environment of heaven into our earthly context, and this is what heaven is filled with. He will speak words consistent with His character, and this is what His character is like. When we need strength and encouragement, God’s words will give them to us.

Whatever hardship you’re going through today, God has words of hope for you. He wants to fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. He wants hope and confidence to come gushing out of you through the power of His Spirit—not because all is well in your life, but because all is subordinate to Him. The power that works within you is greater than any power around you. Let the environment of heaven invade your spirit, and your spirit will overflow into the world around you.

Spirit of God, source of hope, manifest Your power in me. Fill me to overflowing with hope, joy, and peace as I exercise trust in You. Let these attitudes be a magnet for Your voice, and let Your voice speak these attitudes into me even stronger.