Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
This is a benediction we all need, don't we? When the Bible speaks of "hope," the noun, it is speaking of that assurance that God will do what he promised. When we use the verb--"I hope things work out"--it implies at least a little, or even a lot, of uncertainty. But when we turn to God for our needs, we not only have hope, but we "abound in hope."
Notice also that the hope God gives springs from "the power of the Holy Spirit," who stirs up faith ("believing") within us. Believing in God's promises brings "joy and peace"--Oh! What blessedness!
However dark our current circumstances may be, God, the God of hope, can fill us with "all joy and peace," and cause us to "abound in hope," when we trust in his Word.
Now that is a true benediction!
