by: Plow & Crown (Matthew Blatchley)
matt@plowandcrown.com
Romans 12:12 ESV
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
Romans 15:13 ESV
“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.”
The Word
There is a beautiful connection between these two passages. Paul does not present hope and joy as distant ideas that have little to do with the difficulties of everyday life. He places them directly in the middle of them. We are called to rejoice in hope, remain patient in tribulation, and continue faithfully in prayer. Then Paul points us to the source of that hope: God Himself.
Behind the Passage
Paul wrote his letter to the believers in Rome during a period when the Christian faith was spreading throughout the Roman Empire. The believers he addressed lived in a culture that did not naturally embrace the message of Christ, and following Jesus could bring significant social and personal difficulties.
Yet Paul's instruction was not based upon the promise that their circumstances would become easy. Instead, he directed their attention toward something much more secure. Their hope was in God.
When Paul describes God as “the God of hope,” he is reminding believers that hope does not originate in our circumstances. It comes from the character of God and His promises. The believer's confidence does not rest upon knowing exactly what tomorrow will bring. It rests upon knowing the One who already holds tomorrow.
Understanding the Truth
Christian joy is different from simply being happy. Happiness can rise and fall with circumstances, but biblical joy can remain even when circumstances are difficult. That is because Christian joy is ultimately rooted in the Lord rather than in the conditions surrounding us.
Paul tells us to “rejoice in hope.” That command is significant because hope gives us a reason to rejoice even when there may be very little around us that appears joyful. We can rejoice because our present circumstances are not the end of the story.
There may be days when we do not understand what God is doing. There may be prayers that seem unanswered and situations that seem to grow more difficult instead of improving. Yet none of those things change the faithfulness of God.
Romans 15:13 gives us an even greater encouragement. Paul does not tell us to manufacture hope through our own strength. He prays that “the God of hope” would fill us with joy and peace as we believe. The Holy Spirit works within the believer to produce an overflowing hope that is greater than our circumstances.
That kind of hope changes how we face life. It allows us to grieve without being consumed by despair. It allows us to experience hardship without believing that God has forgotten us. It allows us to look toward tomorrow with confidence because our future ultimately rests in God's hands.
Our joy does not require us to pretend that life is always good. Instead, Christian joy allows us to acknowledge that even when life is difficult, God is still good.
A Moment to Reflect
Consider where your joy has been coming from lately. If your joy depends entirely upon everything going according to plan, then difficult circumstances will always have the power to take it away. But when your joy is anchored in God, circumstances may shake you without destroying you.
Perhaps you are waiting for an answer to prayer. Perhaps you are walking through a season that has brought disappointment or uncertainty. Do not confuse God's silence with His absence or your circumstances with God's lack of faithfulness. You may not see what He is doing, but you can still trust who He is.
Take a moment today to deliberately place your hope back where it belongs. Not in an outcome you cannot control, but in a God who has never lost control.
Consider This
What would happen if you stopped asking your circumstances to give you the joy that only God can provide?
You may not be able to change everything happening around you today, but you can choose where you will place your confidence. The God who carried you through yesterday is still with you today, and He will not cease being faithful tomorrow.
Let your hope become deeper than your circumstances and let your joy become stronger than your difficulties. There is a reason to rejoice even in the middle of uncertainty because the God of hope is still your God.
A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being the God of hope. When I look at my circumstances and struggle to see anything that gives me reason to rejoice, remind me that my hope is not found in what I can see. My hope is found in You.
Help me trust You when the answers I want do not come as quickly as I would like. Help me remain faithful when the road becomes difficult and give me patience when I am tempted to become discouraged. Teach me to continue praying even when I do not yet see the answer.
Fill my heart with the joy and peace that come from believing Your promises. Do not allow disappointment to steal the joy You have given me or uncertainty to destroy my confidence in You. Give me a hope that reaches beyond today's circumstances and looks confidently toward the future You have prepared.
When I experience sorrow, remind me that sorrow is not the end. When I experience difficulty, remind me that You are still present. When I cannot see the way forward, remind me that You already know the way.
May Your Holy Spirit strengthen my faith, deepen my hope, and produce within me a joy that points others toward You.
Today, help me rejoice in hope, remain patient in tribulation, and remain constant in prayer.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
