By: Amber Palmer
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." -Romans 15:13
In our brokenness, Jesus’ hope makes us whole and brings joy to our weary heart.
About the Scripture
When Paul penned Romans 15:13 as a letter to the church of Corinth, his words were meant to provide the group with the loving reminder that Christ came to fulfill God's promises to the Jewish people and extend those promises to the Gentiles. Christ’s life, death, and resurrection brings hope for everyone (praise God!)! The peace and hope believers experience are the fruits of this reconciliation brought about by Christ. Paul reminds us of our own hopelessness as humans wading through hurt and heartbreak that through the God of hope, we can experience true, heavenly hope despite our circumstances. From this abounding hope, joy and peace fill us up!
What the Scripture Teaches Us
God’s Word in Romans 15:13, promises us that by believing and trusting in Him, we will have a steady confidence that will keep us hope-filled and from that unwavering hope, we will experience joy and peace unlike the world gives. The title of “God of hope,” shows us that hope, peace, and joy are not just human feelings, but a divine gift rooted in God’s character and faithfulness. The Greek word for joy, charas, defines the word as a source of joy or a calm delight. Jesus is our source of calm delight!
Reflection
During a challenging season full of weariness, unmet expectations, and loneliness, my husband attempted to create the “traditional” Christmas feel by putting Christmas lights on our house. While I stood watching with hope that these lights would usher great joy to our hearts, one by one, they came crashing down, hitting the concrete with force. The red and green shards that laid shattered all over our driveway matched the current state of my heart. As I slowly bent down to pick up the long, green light chord from the ground, it hit me. I didn’t need these lights to bring me light and joy. I didn’t need to do what everyone else was doing to experience the true meaning of Christmas. Looking to outward earthly things to fill me with hope, joy, and peace will eventually come crashing down. Seeing Jesus as my source of joy will stand the test of time and is not fragile like the lights I was relying on to do His work in my heart.
Matthew Poole writes, “with much inward joy and peace, which riseth in the heart through a lively faith in Christ; or else, with all comfort and concord in the Christian faith.” When Jesus is the source of our hope amidst the grim and brokenness of this world, we can experience true joy that is not fragile or dependent on our circumstances. When we are walking through challenging trials like illnesses, hospitalizations, and loss, we can bring our empty, weary, and sorrowful hearts to Christ. He is faithful in supplying us with His joy when we are depleted and when we keep our eyes on Him and His promises for us, we can abound in joy.
Invitation
When we are struggling to just get by, it’s difficult to be joyful in the Christmas season. To add to the pain, social media provides direct access to seeing everyone else enjoying the holidays and it can leave us derailed by unmet expectations, comparison, and doubt. Looking to earthly things to give us joy, is temporary, fragile, and dependent on the state of our circumstances. When we shift our source of joy, hope, and peace onto God, we can rest in His joy and springforth joyfulness because of who He is, no matter what! Trusting God to redeem our troubles, hurt, and brokenesses, is cause for celebration. By reading Scriptures, blasting worship music, staying connected through prayer and in a community of believers, there is great joy to be had! Also, taking breaks from social media can make a difference!
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Our heart feels empty and broken. We give You the pieces and our tears. At Your feet, we come humbly before You, desperate for You to help joy abound within us. The world feels bleak but Lord, in You, there is so much hope and because of the hope You bring, joy can make its way into our challenging circumstances. May You be the light in the darkness and the peace to the strife. May Your hope be the balm to our heart. May Your love wrap us up in comfort and care. We worship Your goodness and take heart in Your redemptive plan where there will be no more sorrow and no more pain. Joy is in Your presence and joy is within us through the Holy Spirit, thank you, Lord.
In Jesus’ name we pray, amen!
Amber Palmer lives in a small farming town with her husband of 16 years and recently dipped her toes into the wild water rapids of parenting two teens. She has a big heart for encouraging women to live from the deepest peace of Jesus. Through her writing, Amber guides her readers to keep their eyes locked on Jesus through the heartbreaking and beautiful moments life may bring. She knows His presence and peace makes all the difference!
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