May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. -Romans 15:13
This verse puts hope in perspective. Hope isn’t a simple, sweet sentiment or an unreachable goal. Hope’s a bit risky- it’s not based on and doesn’t rely on some kind of secret-handshake promise from God. Our hoping does not mean that everything will turn out the way we want it to.
Hope is, instead, a spiritual practice, appropriate at any time but especially during the season of Advent. We wait and hope for the coming of Christ into the world. We hope even when it doesn’t feel like it’s going to make a difference. We hope because we are children of God, children of hope. And the more we hope, the easier it becomes. Our spiritual practice pays off, allowing us to live in hope more and more naturally. When we hope, we align ourselves more closely with the God of the universe- the eternal force of good, of hope and love and peace. -Beth A. Richardson, The Uncluttered Heart
Action: Send the Romans 15 verse to a friend who is in need of being reminded to hope.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, reconfigure the things that are in my mind and on my heart. Remind me of the ways you have reached out to me with your grace so that I might place my hope in you. Amen.