Have you ever been on a boat that needed to stay put somewhere for a period of time?
I remember a few years ago arriving at the most beautiful blue waters off the coast of South Florida I had ever laid eyes on. We had found the perfect spot to let down our boat’s anchor and go for a swim.
So, the captain did just that: he made sure that while we enjoyed the beauty of a refreshing afternoon swim, our ability to make it back home didn’t just drift away leaving us stranded in the middle of the big blue sea!
That’s what the boat’s anchor was for, it was to keep our way back home exactly where we needed it to be. Not only did we need to eventually get back home, the boat contained our food, drinks, and the items we needed so that we didn’t end up like little fried green tomatoes.
The boat was our safe haven, and the captain was our protector.
In Romans 15:13, we find our true safe haven AND protector:
“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.”
Our God is Hope!
He is the author of hope…
He is the thing hoped for….
He is the foundation for our hope…
He is the anchor to our soul…
He is our expectation and our anticipation…
He is our captain and our safe haven, our place to come in from the storm, the wilderness, the dessert….to be safe with Him.
And He wants to fill us with joy and peace. Not just a little, but with it all!
The beauty found in Romans 15:13 gives us a promise that as we trust in Him He fills us with the very thing He knows we need. As the seasons, struggles and storms of life leave us parched, and a little bit sunburned and weary.
He gives us joy and peace that can only be found through who He is.
As if that weren’t gracious enough, He wants us to overflow with more of Him.
Can you picture your life o-v-e-r-f-l-o-w-i-n-g with joy, peace, and hope?
I will be honest: when I set my eyes on the struggles and sufferings of this world, I lose hope and start to believe that the possibility to overflow with joy and peace is mere wishful thinking.
Did you catch that? I lose hope! When I fix my eyes on anything or anyone other than my captain, I lose sight of the very essence of hope, Him, the only one that has the ability to anchor me in place and keep me safe.
In a favorite song of mine, there is a verse that says…
“Jesus my captain, my soul’s trusted Lord, all my allegiance is rightfully yours.”
Be encouraged this week as you meditate on Romans 15:13
God is hope.
God is joy.
God is peace.
and through trust in Him, He wants to overflow us with the very thing we need…
More of Him!
Want to hear Jenny and Mindy discuss more about this topic? Join us on The Flourish Podcast, Holiday Edition Episode Two!
