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. Rom. 15:13 (NIV)
Heavenly Father, meditating on this verse today is like standing under a gentle, steady shower of grace, after near drought-like conditions; or like waking up on a cool, crisp, morning in the mountains of Montana after a month of high-humidity breath-sucking heat; or like a panoramic train ride through Switzerland, in which every scene seems to top the last. Such is the wonder of your Word, the sweetness of the gospel, and the power of hope.
Nothing or no one really has to change for your Spirit to bring us hope in the depths of our hearts, the messiness of our stories, and angst of our circumstances. Whether it’s a “Brexit” vote that causes global uncertainty or the poor choices of good friends; the cancelling of a flight or the adding of a root canal to new week’s schedule; the vacation that didn’t happen or the mold infestation that did happen; the cancer that came back or the prodigal that hasn’t yet… you are still God, still in control, and still good; and we have more than sufficient reasons to have hope—even overflow with hope.
You gave Jesus to us and for us. Everything that needed to be finished, when Jesus was in this world, has been accomplished; and everything he’s yet to complete will be brought to a glorious, stunning, über-wonderful conclusion. We may not like your sense of timing, but we cannot help but love and adore your Son. May your peace rule in our hearts as we wait for the sure-and-certain fulfillment of our hope. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ wonderful and merciful name.