How Can Hope Abound? - Encouragement Café - November 1

How Can Hope Abound?
 By Carolyn Dale Newell

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13 NKJV

It had been an early morning trip to the hospital for a consultation about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). Six weeks ago, I had lost the hearing in one ear. The doctor explained that HBOT works best when done within two weeks of onset, but I had lost precious time because I was misdiagnosed initially. The odds of insurance covering the procedure weren’t promising either, and it could take another two weeks to receive their decision.

Hopelessness began settling upon me as I decided to take a nap. I couldn’t allow discouragement to take over. I quickly launched my Bible app, and I found the above verse. As I read it, God spoke volumes to me. I pray it encourages you today.

First, He is the God of hope, and the enemy is the god of hopelessness. The same God who raised the dead, open blinded eyes, and opened deaf ears hasn’t changed. He still moves mountains. He still heals.

God fills us with all joy and peace while our adversary seeks to rob us of those fruits of the Spirit. Joy and Peace seem like rare commodities during a season of storms, but we have to focus on God, not the storm. Our joy and peace come from the Lord, not the situation.

When we fix our gaze on God, we will abound in hope. Not a small portion, but an abundance of hope is ours through the power of the Holy Spirit. We don’t rely on our power or strength. When we are weak, we refuel with His power. His strength.

I skipped a word that links this verse together. Right in the middle of this verse, we find the phrase, “in believing.” Believing. Faith. Trust. Our faith binds His joy and peace to abundant hope. 

Let’s truly understand the meaning of faith. Faith is “the evidence of things unseen” (Heb. 11:1). Faith is trusting God to deliver on His countless promises. Faith is believing with all confidence that He will heal. He will provide. He will prevail. As Dr. Tony Evans says, it is living like we believe God is telling the truth.

The weeks I lost before getting treatment don’t limit God. God can move insurance mountains if He so desires. 

And God can do that for you too. Doctors can only do so much. God can do everything. Bills can pile up, but God is our provider. Maybe, you have prayed for a lost child for years, but God saves to the uttermost. Depression has stolen your joy, but God is our deliverer. He is the God of breakthroughs. He is the God of the impossible. Friend, He is our God of hope.

What is zapping your joy and peace? How can you entrust these areas to God for a life filled with hope?

Lord, we praise You as our God of hope. We thank You Father, that with You, we always have hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Exchange fear for faith, worry for worship, and panic for peace with Carolyn’s new book, Eyes of Faith: Winning the Battle Between Our Feelings and Our Faith. 

 For more encouragement, visit Carolyn at https://amountainoffaith.com/ 

© 2019 by Carolyn Dale Newell.  All rights reserved.

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