Dear Partners and Friends,
The Holy Spirit opened a verse to me during a recent time of ministry in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. As I meditated on Romans 15:13, The Lord emphasized certain aspects of this scripture I had never focused on before. These truths have strengthened me and I want to impart that strength to you-my partner.
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:13 KJV
The first thing I want to do is define the word “hope” in the light of God’s Word. Hope is confident, earnest expectation of good. Many people use the word to express desperate wishing. When they say, “I hope God makes a way,” they don’t really have confidence that He will. They want Him to make a way. They need Him to make a way. But, they don’t have confident expectation.
As believers, we train ourselves to hope in line with God’s Word. We also train ourselves to recognize and resist dread. Dread is confident expectation of bad. Many people, even believers, are highly developed in dread. It is easy for that person to expect the worst and difficult for them to expect the best.
Our text introduces Our Heavenly Father as the God of confident, earnest expectation. The final result of this verse indicates He wants us to abound in confident, earnest expectation of good. Daddy wants us to get our hopes up! He wants us to anticipate our entry into the land that flows with milk and honey to the point that we put the bread in the oven! If we have milk and honey on the way, we need some fresh bread to put it on. Right?
The two things that The Lord really spoke to me about in this verse are the joy and peace. God fills us with them. The will of the Lord is that your heart be full of joy and peace! What would life be like if you were filled with all joy? How would your day be different if you were filled with all peace?
Well, in the spiritual arena, joy is strength. God strengthens us by a spiritual supply of joy. I want you to see how this truth is described in the Amplified Bible.
Then [Ezra] told them, Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet drink, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold. Nehemiah 8:10 AMP
Don’t be grieved. Don’t be down. Don’t allow your emotions to have the driver’s seat. Instead, celebrate! The joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold! Joy is a safe place. Dread and despair are dangerous places to live. Lift your hands and rejoice.
The prefix “re” means to do again. To rejoice is to recharge or refill your joy. You don’t have to feel like singing, dancing, or shouting in order to rejoice. It is a spiritual action that you can do in spite of your feelings.
If you notice in Philippians 4:4 (AMP) the instruction is to “Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!” Almost immediately is the command, “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything…” The strength to resist all fret and anxiety comes from our rejoicing.
Do you remember what I shared with you last month? “I will never be afraid another day in my life!” I have made that decision based on the Word of God. Jesus commanded me not to allow or permit my heart to be agitated or troubled about anything! The Word says not to fret or have anxiety about anything. Joy gives me the strength and ability to obey that instruction.
I will go into detail next month about the necessity of God’s supernatural peace. Until then, I encourage you to submit to the fullness of joy. The Word says that God fills you with all joy. Submit to the joy. Declare, “I am filled with all joy. I am filled with gladness.” Receive it and act on it. Be glad!
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