“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
Reflection on Today's Verse
Hope isn’t just a warm feeling. It’s not the kind of thing you squeeze out of yourself when life gets hard. This verse wrecks that whole idea. Real hope doesn’t come from us—it comes through us, by the Spirit. God pours it in. And it overflows. Not a trickle. Abounds. But here’s the catch: it’s tied to believing. Not wishing. Believing. Trusting. And somehow in that trust, joy and peace show up. Even when nothing else looks hopeful. I’ve had moments where everything around me felt like it was falling apart, but there was this weird calm in me. Not because I had a plan. Not because I saw the light at the end. Just because I knew who was holding the flashlight.
If joy and peace feel distant, maybe it’s not because you lost your faith. Maybe it’s because you’ve been trying to power your own hope. The Holy Spirit doesn’t need your batteries. He just needs your surrender. That’s wild, isn’t it? That peace and joy don’t come from fixing your life—but from believing God hasn’t left you in it.
Personal Prayer
God of hope, I need You to do the filling. I’ve tried joy without You. I’ve faked peace just to get through the day. But I want the real thing—the kind only Your Spirit gives. Fill every tired, doubting, scattered part of me with Your unshakable joy. Let peace settle into the cracks I keep trying to patch.
Teach me to trust again—not just with words, but with my whole heart. Let me overflow with hope that doesn’t come from me, but points to You. Amen.