The Fourteenth Day of Advent

Saturday, December 14, 2019

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide

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

This may be my absolute favorite verse in the entire Bible! If not, it is surely on the list of favorites that I never want to forget. I only found it a few years ago, but every time I read it my heart is warmed and tears usually come to my eyes. Look at it closely.

First of all, this wonderful hope that we seek comes from the very God of hope! Paul prays for us to be given this hope, and the very Christ who inspired him to write this prayer is right now at the right hand of God asking that God do as Paul requested! And that hope is going to produce something tremendous in us – joy and peace in believing God! Not even in just believing anything, but in believing God! And not in believing in God but just believing God! Is it any wonder that when that occurs, we are going to abound in hope? God says it; we believe it! How simple but how complex!

What usually produces despair in us? Lack of faith, doubts, insecurity, fear, a sense of being unloved and alone. Once we reach a place of absolutely believing God, all these despair producers will disappear! If we believe God, will we ever feel alone and unloved? Will we ever lack faith? Can doubt and insecurity touch us if we believe God never leaves us or forsakes us? Can we be afraid if we believe God, that he has overcome all fear?

And to add icing to the cake, that the power of the Holy Spirit – that’s the same power that raised Jesus from the dead – is going to accomplish all this! Awesome. Wonderful. Amazing!

Father, Father! How we praise you that you want to fill us with joy and hope in believing you! Fill us more and more! Amen

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide
prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida
Winter 2009
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator