My default setting is ‘fear,’ not ‘faith.’
How’s my friend’s baby doing? Will she recover; and what can I do? Why did God let this happen? Will I be able to meet up with Y; and if so, what will I say? Why is the car making that noise? Is that a dodgy mole on my leg? What will happen to my family if I get sick?
On and on it goes; and the list gets longer the more I look at it.
I need a sword, to slice through the chatter.
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.
The words wash over me like water. So I read it again, slowly.
May the God of HOPE,
not the God of ‘pray it won’t be too bad’ or ‘plan for the worst, just in case’
Fill you with All
not ‘just a little’, or what He can’t really afford to spare
JOY and PEACE
not just not feeling bad or a bit less frightened,
as you Trust in HIM
not your to-do list
or the trains being on time
or the Tesco delivery
or that extra glass of wine
so that..
you won’t feel like throttling the slow driver in front…?
you’ll get to the end of the day and can finally get some sleep…?
you’ll sort out your heaving inbox…?
you’ll feel useful and worthwhile because you’re doing something…?
you may overflow with hope
Overflow – not like snatching a tiny bit of it and hugging it tight, in case it’s stolen. Being filled to the brim so that hope spills out of you and still you’re full
by the power of
your impressive organisation/your babysitter/another late night?
the Holy Spirit
God in me. God in you. His promise and His strength.
Romans 15:13
So helpful Emma, thank you!
so much to say and yet none at all!
I tried to type out a version of what my heart more closely inclines to. Suffice to say, it had phrases like “the God whom I hope doesn’t hate me too much”, “trust in my perfection(ism)”, so that I “survive the day”, in the power of … I didn’t get to this part but it’s probably about faking it till I make it. oops.
thankful that Romans has a better way ;-) x
Oh Emma, what a helpful and powerful way to read through Scripture! Thank you for posting this. I shared it with a few sisters and am going to try it on other verses I hold close. It really made me look at it in a different way. Oh how amazing is our God and the truth we find in His Word alone! Sola Scriptura!
Thanks so much for your encouragements!