the goodness of God

 

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]

I love this verse- a few things stood out to me as I read it yesterday.

First, God is a God of hope! If you know Jesus, you have hope and things are NOT hopeless.

Secondly, if you trust and believe in God, He will fill you with joy and peace! True joy can only occur when we have the hope that Jesus offers to us. Everything else is a counterfeit disguised as temporary joy! Peace is what comes when we trust in Him. If we trust in ourselves or our circumstances (jobs, relationships), we will be let down time and again.

Lastly, He fills us with joy and peace so that we can extend that to others as we come across their paths. Whatever we are overflowing with is what is going to come out and that is what the world around us sees!

I'll give you an example of this- someone I know just told me how they were standing in a long line at the grocery store the other day and an elderly lady cut in front of her. She cleared her throat to get the attention of the lady to let her know she had been in line and was instantly convicted of that. The lady turned and said she was sorry, that she didn't see her and to go on first. My friend gave her a genuine smile and said that it was okay, she only had a few things and she should go on ahead. The Lord used His word to show my friend in that moment the example of walking humbly and my friend had just asked the Lord to help her to be humble that very morning! That is how God works, my friends. His Holy Spirit nudges those of us who know Him at just the right moment when we need to display the love and grace that Jesus offers.

I say all this to ask two things and I am asking myself: one, do you know Jesus? And two, if you do know Jesus, what do people who don't know Him see in you when you're out in public? Do they see someone who is impatient and rude to the server at your favorite restaurant or do they see someone who smiles and offers grace to those who mess up your order? It's something to think about! God is so good to reveal these truths to me as I read His word. How has He been good to you lately? I'd love to hear your God story.

I pray these words encourage you. Love to all. ❤