by Ronnie Hewitt
I would like to focus our attention on a word that is both ancient and urgent – Hope. I don’t mean wishful thinking or vague optimism, but biblical hope – a confident expectation rooted in the character of God. We find in Romans 15:13 a benediction, a prayer, and a promise spoken by the apostle Paul. He wrote, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (NASB)
Here, Paul is speaking to a church who is learning to live in unity, in endurance, and in the tension between suffering and glory. And he says, “May the God of hope fill you…” Let’s explore what it means to live a life in hope – not just to have hope occasionally, but to be saturated with it, shaped by it, and sustained through it.
Paul doesn’t just say “a hopeful God” – he says, “the God of hope.” Hope is not just something God gives; it’s something He is. In Psalm 71:5, the psalmist says, “For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.”Jeremiah, prophesying on behalf of God to the Jews in Babylonian captivity said, “For I know the plans I have for you…plans to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11).
If God is the source, then hope is not circumstantial – it’s relational. It’s not
based on what’s happening around us, but on who is dwelling within us. Hope is not a human achievement. It’s a divine empowerment. The Holy Spirit is the wind in our sails, the fire in our bones, and the whisper in our wilderness. We are reminded in Romans 5:5, “Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Therefore, when we feel weak, the Spirit strengthens. When we feel empty, the Spirit fills us. Hope is not “self-help,” but is “Spirit-help.”
based on what’s happening around us, but on who is dwelling within us. Hope is not a human achievement. It’s a divine empowerment. The Holy Spirit is the wind in our sails, the fire in our bones, and the whisper in our wilderness. We are reminded in Romans 5:5, “Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Therefore, when we feel weak, the Spirit strengthens. When we feel empty, the Spirit fills us. Hope is not “self-help,” but is “Spirit-help.”
Back to our original passage found in Romans 15:13, Paul’s prayer was that we would abound in hope. To abound means to overflow, to exceed, to spill out. God doesn’t want us to survive with a teaspoon of hope – He wants us to abound.
Romans 12:12 says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant
in prayer.” And the Hebrew writer said, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19). Hope is not just for us – it’s through us. When we abound in hope, we become beacons of light in a dark world. We become living testimonies of resurrection power.
in prayer.” And the Hebrew writer said, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19). Hope is not just for us – it’s through us. When we abound in hope, we become beacons of light in a dark world. We become living testimonies of resurrection power.
Let me encourage you with some practical activation of hope.
Stay in the Word – Hope is birthed in truth. Romans 15:4 says, “Through endurance and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
”Pray with Expectation – Hope is sustained in communion with God. Philippians 4:6-7 – “Do not be anxious… but in everything by prayer…”
Encourage Others – Hope multiplies when shared. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
These practices keep hope alive in us and spread it through us. Let this be your anthem, your posture, your lifestyle. Not to the point where you are just surviving, but abounding. Not just hoping – but living in hope. Remember, hope is more than a feeling; it’s the anchor of the soul.