Romans 15:13

Scripture Verse

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.

Recently, several studies about Gen Z have caught my attention. Much can be said about this generation of teens and young adults, but these studies focused specifically on the fears that weigh on them: global warming, political unrest, digital technologies and artificial intelligence, mental health, to name a few.

While some of these fears are unique to this age, the tendency to feel overwhelmed, or even sink into despair, is not. Fear touches people across every era and culture.

Today’s verse is Romans 15:13: “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.” (NIV) Among other attributes, our God is a God of hope, not fear.

The hope we have in God refers to God Himself, because we know that He will continue His work within us until the day Jesus comes again (Philippians 1:6).

Therefore, with this promise of a secure future, we are called to put our trust in Him. Easier said than done! Yet we don’t have to do this alone: Just a few verses earlier, in Romans 15:5-6, Paul writes, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NIV) God gives us endurance and encouragement so that we can love and strengthen one another as the body of Christ, and together we help each other place our trust in Him.

Prayer:

God’s Spirit fill us with joy and peace, and that the people around us can see that we serve and love a God of hope. May we cling to Him no matter how afraid we are, and encourage others to stay close to the One who has already finished the work on the cross and will come again. Amen.