November 23, 2015 – Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13This verse calms my spirit and my soul, for hope is life.  It is the difference between sure spiritual death and living a life of joy and thanksgiving.  In the hope that comes with believing in God, comes endurance and a positive spirit.This hope frees our spirit to ‘be’.  To ‘be’ the child of God He plans and desires us to be.  This freedom gives us the endurance and encouragement to live in harmony with others.  The freedom to love and to grow in Jesus.  Without Hope, without Jesus, we find our spirit is stifled, life is wilted, like the beautiful budding glorious geranium in freezing temperature on my porch.We often turn our backs and close our ears to the Grumpy Gus in our lives – who creates a sour note and destroys the harmony we try to sing.  But the harmony of a hope-filled life creates one voice that glorifies God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.We are admonished to welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us.  Ours is not to judge others for sour notes of life, but to love them and pray for them.  We welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us, to be His friends and children of God. No one is without sin, for all have sinned and fallen short — it is only in Christ that we find hope and freedom to Be His.May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Romans 15:5-8