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

Our God is the God of hope! As Paul draws his treatise to the Roman community of faith in Jesus to a close, he invokes the LORD as the God of hope. Inside of His own existence, there is hope. Though He is the God of all things, Paul is highlighting that he is the God of hope specifically. That should be an encouragement to us! Let us consider this together in our last devotional this week.

As the God of hope, He can fill us with all joy and peace – what a tremendous promise! ALL joy – not just some joy! Joy is a heart response to life independent of our circumstances. James says in the first chapter of his letter to Believers in Jesus from the first century that we should “count it all joy when [we] fall into various trials…” (James 1:2). The God of hope can fill us with joy even when we face trouble and challenges. Hope from God can fill us with all joy!

Peace, too, which Paul prays the God of hope will fill us with, is independent of circumstances. Jesus tells the disciples in John 16 that He tells them of trouble ahead of time so that they might know it and prepare for it in their hearts. He makes them a promise of trouble but also promises them peace in the midst of that trouble. He says, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The God of hope promises a peace that is full in us.

Paul’s instruction continues – “in believing.” The gifts of joy and peace from the God of hope must be maintained in believing. “Believing” as Paul uses it here (and elsewhere) is not giving mental ascent to theological constructs. “Believing” is active – when worry presses against our minds, we confess with our mouths that “[our Lord] has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Our believing creates an environment in our hearts and minds where the God of hope fills us with joy and peace. We believe that He works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Our hope is not “barely hanging on” in Paul’s declaration to the Roman community of faith. Our hope is one that abounds. Ours is a hope that exists in large amounts. It overflows. And when our hope abounds, it can affect the environment around us. It can be contagious. An inexplicable hope that abounds affords us many an opportunity to explain to a hopeless world the source of our abounding hope. Bless the Lord for a hope that abounds!

Lastly, Paul attributes the abounding hope from joy and peace of the God of hope in whom we believe to the power of the Holy Spirit. This is not something we just decide and try to muster up in our own personality, our emotions or as an act of our will. As the Holy Spirit empowers us to live in nearness to the LORD, the Spirit also empowers us to be filled with hope. We trust Him to pour out His power in us. That power becomes an abounding hope – LORD may it be so with us!

“Now, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace” in these days! And as your believing is enriched, may you, by the power of the Holy Spirit, abound in hope! A hope that overflows. A hope that overwhelms. A hope that overcomes discouragement. A hope that builds you up. May the hope of the God of hope flourish in your heart and mind by the Messiah Jesus!

ACTIVATION:

1. Has your hope been strengthened in this last week? Why or why not? Be specific.
2. If your hope has been strengthened, write down why and how so that you can look back on this in future times of worry or doubt.

If your hope has not been strengthened, write down where you still need a touch from the God of hope. Talk to the LORD about it. Don’t be embarrassed but do keep pressing into the promise of His hope abounding in you.

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4

If we are struggling to live from hope, take a look at Paul’s encouragement to the Romans was to look to the Scriptures to find it. The record of testimony to the LORD’s faithfulness to the people of Israel strengthens our hope today. In the Scriptures, Paul tells us we can find patience. In the Scriptures, Paul exhorts us that we can find comfort.

In his letter to the community of faith in Jesus in Galatia, Paul tells them that patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Patience is the by-product of our character having been re-formed by the indwelling Spirit of the living God. We can lean on the Holy Spirit for patience. And we can feed the activity of that Spirit in us with the Scriptures. We can look to the Scriptures to build up patience in us – a patience that leads to hope.

In the fortieth chapter of Isaiah, the prophet cries out, ינחמו עמ נחמו  – nachamu, nachamu ami – “comfort, comfort my people!” in the voice of the LORD (Isaiah 40:1). So often, the lives we lead are filled with trauma and doubt and hardship. Jesus tells us, “blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). Paul is telling us, when we are in need of comfort, let us look to the Scriptures. Page after page and story after story declares the goodness of the God we serve. Look to the Scriptures and find comfort today!

Are you struggling to find hope? Look to the Scriptures, which were written for our learning, that you might find their comfort and that your patience might be built up. With patience and comfort reinforced in us, we can be built up in hope!

ACTIVATION:

1. What is something that has happened to you and from which you still need comfort?
2. Do a simple word search of “comfort” in a Bible software and read five of the chapters where that word occurs.

What jumped out as you were reading about comfort? How can the things that you read be applied to the area of comfort that you seek?

…rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer…” Romans 12:12

In his sermon recorded in Ecclesiastes 4:12, Solomon states “though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Solomon is writing in the context of the value of camaraderie and relationships. I think we can apply Solomon’s principle of multiplication of strength as individual strengths are added together to this passage in Romans chapter 12. Hope by itself is good. Hope braided together with joy, patience and prayer is even better.

“…continuing steadfastly in prayer…”

Prayer is conversation with the LORD, God Most High. It is a natural result of our ongoing relationship with Him. Sometimes, prayer is for giving thanks. Sometimes, it for making a request. Other times, it is simply a means of reinforcing our connection to Him. Paul is encouraging the Romans to pray steadfastly; that is, with constant attention. Our confidence in our relationship with the LORD of the universe serves to strengthen our hope. Regular and steady prayer will serve to strengthen our hope.

“…patient in tribulation…”

In Romans 5:3-4, Paul develops for the Romans what we have discussed as “the process of hope” (see Day 2) Experiencing tribulation, Paul tells us, should produce in us patience. Here in chapter 12, Paul is reminding the community of Jesus’ disciples in Rome of this by exhorting them that as we experience tribulation and trouble, our response should be a patient one. We can wait on the LORD expectantly in the midst of trouble – He will deliver us. We can be patient in our trust of Him. Patience in combination with prayer will reinforce our hope in our good LORD.

“…rejoicing in hope…”

To be hopeful is to have a confident expectation that something that has not happened will happen at some time in the future. Built into our hope is the reality that what we hope for has not YET come to pass (see Day 4). While we are waiting, what should our disposition be? Paul encourages us to REJOICE while we wait. That is not my natural disposition. I dislike waiting. I avoid lines and traffic. I use self-checkout and the drive-thru to avoid waiting. But Paul tells us not only to have patience in the waiting, but to rejoice while we are hopeful. Joy strengthens our hope and enables us to pleasantly endure as we continue to hope for what is “not yet” to one day happen.

Prayer, Patience and Joy – a threefold cord that strengthens our hope. May it be so in us, LORD Jesus, today!

ACTIVATION:

1. How is your prayer life?
2. Do you need more patience?
3. Does joy well up in your soul as you hope for the things He has promised?

If you find yourself to be deficient of any of these, take a moment and pray, asking that the LORD would strengthen these in you for the benefit of hope in Him.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

As I am writing this, Israel should finally have a new government – putting an end to 16 months of political turmoil wrought by three inconclusive elections.

You can read more about this significant event in the news articles below, but let’s just say for we who care so deeply about Israel and her people, this is an answer to many prayers.

It is cause for thanksgiving – and I believe the COVID-19 pandemic played a key role. Without the challenges and tragedies brought by the virus, would Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz have become allies to form this new emergency government? Only God knows, but it doesn’t seem likely.

So again we see how God can bring good from the difficulties we face. Again, we have reason to give Him thanks.

Let’s continue to lift up Israel and the Jewish people in prayer, trusting and believing that our God is working in the hearts and minds of many, that He is drawing people to Himself. And let’s rejoice together that our God knows the plans He has for us!

NETANYAHU GETS MANDATE FROM ISRAELI PRESIDENT TO FORM NEW GOVERNMENT

Last week Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was officially granted a two-week mandate by President Reuven Rivlin to form his fifth straight government. This would keep him in power until November 13, 2021.

“I hope Israel will soon have a government that will deal successfully with the complex challenges that stand before us,” Rivlin said, referencing the dual crises of the political stalemate and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The law that passed would enable Netanyahu to continue as prime minister for a year and a half and then Blue and White Leader Benny Gantz would take over the position. Both will have veto power over legislation.

…hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.  Romans 8:24-25

I want to encourage you to take a moment and read the verse above a couple more times. Paul is using logic here to point out to the Roman community of Jesus followers that if we see with our eyes what we hope for, then there is no longer a need for hope. If our hope comes to pass, there is left no reason to hope. Only BEFORE something happens or comes to pass can hope be alive and active. A hopeful life is superior in every way. But hope is only of any consequence if what we desire to occur has not occurred yet.

What is our ultimate hope as followers of Jesus? Our hope is the same as the hope of the prophets of Israel – that the Son of David would come and establish an everlasting kingdom of justice and peace that extends over all (Isaiah 2:1-4, Isaiah 11, Habakkuk 2:9-20, Revelation 19:11-22:5). Jesus said to the disciples that He would come and do just that in the Father’s time (Acts 1:6-7). Paul tells the community of faith in Corinth in his first letter that “[Jesus] must reign until He puts all enemies under His feet” (1 Corinthians 15:25). Jesus will come and make Jerusalem a praise in all the earth (Isaiah 62:7). And because we do not see it yet, we have hope for the day that we will!

As we are waiting, how should we wait? We wait eagerly. We wait with perseverance. Eagerness is the quality of wanting or longing for something very much – with great anticipation, with keen expectancy and with invested interest. We are interested in Jesus’ kingdom being fully present on the earth. We desire His kingdom to come and His will to be done on the earth as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:10). Perseverance is the quality of being persistent in doing or believing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving its success. We do not yet see His kingdom in its fullness – we do hope for it! And we wait with a keen expectancy despite His literal kingdom being delayed and the difficulty in establishing its ultimate success. And yet we hope for that which we do not see eagerly and patiently. With hope we cry, “Come Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)

ACTIVATION:

1. What are some hopes you have had that have come to pass in the course of your life?
2. What hopes do you have that are yet unfulfilled?
3. Are you “good” at waiting? Why or why not?

We have experienced such joy ministering in Zimbabwe over the years. We’ve especially loved encountering and partnering with the Lemba Jewish people who live there.  Aware that their DNA traces to the “kohenim” or priestly line of Israel, we have prayed for their prophetic destiny to be released as they come to know Yeshua (Jesus) as Savior and take their place in the Body of Messiah.

One of the things that we’ve noted about the people of Zimbabwe is their resilience.  However, over the past year, as their nation has come under increasing difficulties, we’ve watched their ability to bounce back wear thin.

Now, the nation is dealing with the coronavirus.  They have been in a lockdown that was recently extended for two more weeks, accelerating fears that the protective measure will leave many citizens even more vulnerable to hunger and lack of care and resources than they already are.

We are thinking of the many Zimbabweans we know and care about as well as their nation. Please pray for some of these practical aspects of life in Zimbabwe right now:

• The ability to find and purchase basic supplies during the lockdown, especially since many of the less expensive vendors are now closed
• The businesses of our dear ministry partners in Zimbabwe (who help us with much-needed services such as accommodations, catering, and transportation for our ministry) to be able to stay open as many of them depend on tourism or the airline industry for their livelihood
• Congregations and churches as they seek to provide essential supplies to members, partner ministries and families in their neighborhoods
• God to move the hearts of those with strength, resources and ability to effectively mobilize in serving others – especially the most vulnerable, such as the elderly – in practical ways others during this season

In addition, we would appreciate your prayers regarding our scheduled Outreach to Chitsungo, Zimbabwe, in July. Please pave the way with prayers for:

• Wisdom for our team on the ground
• The availability of supplies for the Outreach and our teams
• Clear communication, favor and guidance from local authorities
• Grace to work through the myriad of details that we need to consider in light of COVID-19
• Clarity on any adaptations we might need to make and creativity as to how to do that
• The right individuals to be assembled into a strong, effective, and unified team

How our hearts go out to this nation and its people!  We are trusting the Lord for His provision and that His redemptive purposes for Zimbabwe will be fulfilled. Will you join us in prayer for them as well as for our ministry there?

Let’s pray:

Father, we believe You have plans for good and not for evil for the people and nation of Zimbabwe. Would You mobilize prayer, connect Believers and sustain their faith? Would You provide wisdom, healing and resources for all Zimbabwe’s citizens? Most of all, we ask You to enable the Good News of Jesus to spread throughout the land, bringing salvation, hope and lasting change.  And Lord, would You use us to be a blessing to Zimbabwe? In Yeshua’s name, AMEN!

The nation of Israel is a divine archetype of purpose and family. Through the LORD’s hand, He fashioned Israel to be a witness of His persistent love and righteousness. Israel was to be a servant and a reflection to all the nations of the LORD’s covenant promise to redeem the world from sin and unrighteousness. To show the world He is the one true God, the maker of Heaven and Earth.