The Watered Soul

Finding Refreshment in the Word

Finding Hope

By

HopeDefined

For several days now Romans 15:13 has been etched into my mind since reading it. Often we seek to find a place of peace or happenings to restore our joy but each of those things comes as a result of trusting in God. He is the lord of hope.

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. Romans 15:13 (NIV)

When we find ourselves lacking a  state of peace perhaps it is then time to check our trust level.

The Holman Bible Dictionary defines biblical hope as “the anticipation of a favorable outcome under God’s guidance. More specifically, hope is the confidence that what God has done for us in the past guarantees our participation in what God will do in the future. This contrasts to the world’s definition of hope as “a feeling that what is wanted will happen”.

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Comments

    • Yesterday’s message was about expectations. I don’t think it’s wrong to have expectation but we need not be locked into seeing the outcome in a particular manner. Hang in there Elizabeth you will see his goodness!

  3. Wow! This is certainly a good Monday reminder, Wanda. I spent much of my weekend studying Daniel and TRUST in God is tied to HOPE, the hope that is alive and overflowing even when the things and outcomes we really want seem far away or non-existent.

    Have a hopeful week!

    • LaVonne, the connection between hope and trust has just been illuminated to me as I have been rehearsing Romans 15:13 in manner in which I failed to recognize before. I read your last two post but for some reason the comment links were not displaying again on my browser. Ugh, I’ve got to figure out what’s going on with that. As I reading your post entitled Why, I said oh my she’s preaching real good now. There’s such a wealth of wisdom in you my virtual friend 🙂

      • Wanda, isn’t amazing how the Word, no matter how many times we study it, comes alive to our NOW in ways we have not recognized before? God is truly ever-present for everything. He is “God With Us.”

        • Yes, LaVonne and you’ve hit on another theme that has been on my mind a lot lately-Emmanuel. The God that is with us!

  6. I love the definition you posted; copying and pasting that so I can carry it with me! 🙂 How could we ever survive a day without hope and faith in God’s guidance??

    Blessings and hugs Wanda!
    Denise

  7. wanda, thanks for the link! this passage has been so encouraging to me lately and i think you nailed it on the head – our hope is not like the world’s hope. we have confidence in hope, not just some vague wishful thinking that something good might someday happen… we are unshaken in hope because of who we hope in is faithful. great encouragement to me today. thank you!

  8. “When we find ourselves lacking a state of peace perhaps it is then time to check our trust level.”
    I love this Wanda. It made me stop and think about a few things that don’t feel at peace about. Thanks for sharing.

    • Blessings to you Bernadine. I have some things myself that I have noticed an absence of peace so I’m examining if I’m really walking in trust in those areas of my life.