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 (NIV)
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Hope, joy and peace. It's alot of what the world is looking for, huh? But they seem to be looking in all the wrong places.
They look to drugs and alcohol. They look to relationships (often the unhealthy kind). They look to mysticism and yoga. They look to themselves. And at the end of the day, when they look back, do they know true hope, joy and peace? I'm thinkin', not so much.
God is the Author and Giver of real hope, real joy and real peace. He's the Authenticator of it all! Grasping for sad and sorry substitutes will leave you feeling sad and sorry. He says, Come to Me. I have what you're looking for. And I am so willing to give to you out of My spiritual riches...
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
~ Jesus, in Luke 11:13 (NIV)
When the Holy Spirit is given by Jesus to those who ask Him for it, it will radically change the source of your hope, joy and peace. No longer are you forced to seek the spiritual in the substandard earthly substitutes of addiction, greed, lust, power, and gluttony. When God comes inside your heart and mind, He provides the genuine article -- real hope, real joy, real peace.
But here's the catch: You can have the Holy Spirit, and not be walking with Him. And if you desire to ride on top of the spiritual wave with God, instead of getting slammed in the spiritual surf, you need to be walking with him. Paul said it like this...
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ~ Galatians 5:25 (NIV)
Don't miss the line in Romans 15:13 that is key: ...as you trust in Him. That whole 'trust in God' thing is HUGE, and until we get a firm grasp on the importance of this and how to act on it, we're gonna struggle with resting in God's amazing hope, joy and peace. We have to trust God 100% for our lives. That is part of the surrender that is required when we choose to be Christ's follower. It's not just "give up this, give up that..." It's give in. It's jump in. It's all in.
He's all in for you. And when you decide to be all in for God, you can know the exhilaration of riding on top of the wave with Him! Surf's up, dude . . . are you gonna grab your board, or what? :-)
Love,
Joelene
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