Dams are amazing feats of construction. To stop water flow and constrict it so that energy can be made, and land below can be used is awe inspiring. When water levels are low we can see a trickle coming through the dam. But in times of massive rainfalls when they open the flood gates to avoid bursting we see such an overflow of water, nothing can stop the flow. This overflow is controlled, the dam operator knows exactly how much the land below can take and at what rate. Well, the Holy Spirit knows you, he knows how strong you are and at what rate he can flow through you. The stronger our foundation the more he can move. If we want a strong all in relationship with God we need a firm foundation that will allow an overflow of the Holy Spirit.
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13 NLT
In reading this prayer from Paul I see two powerful words that must be taken into consideration to understanding the order in how his pray is laid out. I read this and see a formula for hope. First, I read “because”. This tells me that trust in him must be first in all we do. Trusting in God through Jesus salvation and daily trust him to meet your needs is the foundation by which every believer must rest. Building your spiritual foundation on anything else is folly and bound for failure.
So, with a foundation of trust in place, we then can be prepared to be filled with the joy and peace that he offers. There will be a place for it to reside and live in us. Without the trust of God, these gifts given will only seep out and never be long lasting. We will trade them in for whatever we put our hope and trust in. There is no joy and peace in trusting money. There is no joy and peace trusting our politicians. There is no joy and peace trusting man. We need to put our hope and trust in God.
The second word I read is ” then”. This tells me the previous statement must be held true for the second to become reality. If we want an overflowing confident hope in what we believe so we can reach others we must trust God. We must live a life filled with joy and peace. The most important part of this verse is that we must believe in the power of the Holy Spirit, still works today and gives us this confident hope. The Holy Spirit, an equal part of the trinity is with us believers to shape us, empower us to go into the world and spread the love of Christ with confidence.
Joy and Peace = Confident Hope
TRUST HOLY SPIRIT
Are you trusting God? Have you asked him to fill you with joy and peace? Are you overflowing with confident hope? Are you plugged into the Holy Spirit? If you want to be effective in reaching this world you need to examine each question, if you can answer yes to one or all then you need to reread this scripture and ask God to fulfil it in your life. Are you ready to let the Holy Spirit open the floodgates and let confident hope overflow your life?
Father, we need to trust you with everything. Thank you for providing us a way to connect with you through Jesus sacrifice and daily through the Holy Spirit. Give us peace and joy because of this trust in you. Then fill us with an overflowing confident hope through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit so we can become effective in sharing your love to others. They matter to you Jesus, so the matter to me. I want a firm all in foundation for the Holy Spirit to work in me. Amen
50 Days of Pray 