Overflow with Hope | Qualities of Women Who Trust Jesus
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” —Romans 15:13
One Sunday afternoon, I sliced up a fresh lime and squeezed a wedge into a mason jar glass. After adding ice, I placed the wide-mouthed jar on the counter, then rotated the filtered water faucet over the top of it. Glimmering fresh water slid over the ice cubes, and I couldn’t wait to serve my husband his glass of lime water.
Until .2 seconds later when I got distracted by — in all honesty I don’t even remember what— and I walked away… with the water still running. Needless to say, the supply in my kitchen pipes was more superfluous than the mason jar could possibly hold, and before I knew it, precious lime water overflowed all over the kitchen counter.
In Romans 15:13, the apostle Paul writes about a hope that is altogether different than all other kinds of hope— it’s an overflowing kind. It runs and fills and keeps spilling over even after the vessel brims. It’s a hope who’s Source is self-sustaining— abundant, bountiful, and charitable. As a matter of fact, hope is, by nature, part of the Source’s very existence:
He is the God of Hope.
Reflect on that name for a minute. We worship an all-powerful, incredibly good-natured God who inherently IS the very thing we desperately need. He doesn’t merely have the hope that our souls long for; he IS the hope our souls long for. His supply of hope is more superfluous than our hearts could possibly hold.
Just like the mason jar needed the faucet to dispense water into it, we need a conduit that will dispense hope into our hearts, something with the power to cause hope to flow from the Source to our souls. “…so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” — God’s Spirit has this power! He is with us, even now— with me as I write these words and with you as you read them. He is here with the power to infuse hope into our relationships, our struggles, and our very hearts.
And what is the lever we must pull to activate the flow from Source to soul? Our faith! “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him…” When we’re able to let go of control and entrust our well-being to God, His Spirit floods us with joy, peace, and hope. Such good news!
Is there an area of life where you’re losing hope? It might be something big, like infertility, illness, or not being happy at your job or in your marriage. Or it could be more ordinary, like being unmotivated for daily tasks or feeling overwhelmed.
Remember who you are, Sister! You’re not a nobody with no purpose and no joy. You are a daughter of the one true God— the very God of hope Himself at your side, ready to dispense to you all the joy and peace you could possibly hold (and then some!). Lift your head, look to Him, and let your heart overflow with hope today!
For Your Journal
Find It:
In this portion of your journal, write out a Bible verse. You can find a verse that fits a current life situation or use the one we used in today’s devotion.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
—Romans 15:13
Fix It:
In this portion of your journal, pull out a few key words from the verse you chose above, or summarize the verse in your own words. Write it in pretty lettering or sketch something that will help you visualize the meaning of the verse and fix it in your mind. Repeat these words to yourself throughout the week to remind you of the truth contained in the scripture. Here are some options:
God of HOPE
Overflow with HOPE
Feel It:
In this portion of your journal, write out a prayer. The goal is to absorb the meaning of the Bible passage and let it take root in your heart. Ask the Lord to let his word change you by the power of his Spirit so that you begin to feel like the new person you’re becoming in Christ. Surrender any areas of your life that you are trying to control.
Dear God, thank you that your Spirit is here with me right now. Would you fill me and help me to see the wonder of who you are. You have created me and called me; you have secured my eternal salvation and, on top of that, you have power to take every bad thing and turn it for good. Let these truths resonate in me today. I believe in you and in your word. Through faith and by the power of your Holy Spirit, fill me with joy, peace and hope today until it overflows into the lives around me. Let it be so in your powerful name, Jesus. Amen