“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
With hope, we can get up one more time, no matter how exhausted we are. Hope brings determination, courage, and confidence. And the good news is: God is a God of hope.
Where do we find hope to carry on when we are exhausted? Here are four sources of hope that God provides:
Hope from the Word. As we study the Bible, we learn to trust in the character and promises of God, giving us a solid foundation of hope (Romans 15:4).
Hope from the resurrection. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we can be confident that God is at work in our lives now (Romans 8:11).
Hope from the Spirit. God has set his Spirit in us! One of the activities of the Spirit is to fill us with hope (Romans 15:13).
Hope from the future. Can the future be a source of hope? Absolutely! Romans 8:23-25 reminds us that we will one day be completely redeemed: body, soul, and spirit. In that day, anxiety will be no more!
We often think of hope as a feeling, but the actual definition of hope is “a desire accompanied by some confident expectation” (American Heritage Dictionary). Therefore, we may feel terrible or exhausted or anxious, but still live in hope. Compare your understanding of hope with this definition: do you need to adjust your thinking about hope?
What aspects of your life are most troubling to you right now? What hope does the Bible provide you with regard to those specific matters?
Spend time in prayer, asking God to fill you with hope through his Spirit.