Romans 15:13

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
There are two different types of people in this world. Those who will never let their gas tank drop below a quarter of a tank, and then those who are still out driving when their dash reads ‘zero miles until empty.’ No matter which one of these people you are, all of us get the concept that when our car needs gas, we fill it. The same is true with food. When we are hungry, we find food to eat. We have been trained to be independent, and when there is a need, we will take care of it.
 
This concept works for most things, but when it comes to our spiritual needs, we aren’t the ones doing the filling. If we truly want joy, peace, and other fruits of the Spirit to be present in our lives, we no longer can look to ourselves. It gets a little tricky though, because sometimes we can fool ourselves into thinking we have what it takes.
 
There are countless examples of people who may not know Jesus yet are practicing patience, or kindness, or goodness. Even for those who do know Jesus, you can display these characteristics by your own strength, but when we choose these options, we’re fighting an uphill battle.
 
The patience we provide will be temporary. The goodness we show will be for just a moment. The kindness we aim for will eventually miss the mark. We were never meant to look to ourselves when we need something spiritually. God wants us to look to him.
 
            May the God of hope fill you. . .
 
God is the filler. He’s designed it in such a way that we don’t just need him for salvation, we need him for everyday life. When we need patience for our kids, we have a God who is the giver of patience. When we need love for our spouse, we have a God who is the giver of love. This God, this Holy Spirit, he lives within those of us who know Jesus.
 
The Giver is with you! He literally resides in you. That means when we are in need and looking to God for help, we don’t have to wait for help. Help is already here. This is better than same-day shipping from Amazon! This is instant. The Holy Spirit wants to provide us with our spiritual needs.
 
So, let’s let him. Let’s allow God to be the source of power in our lives. There will be times when you and I are tempted to go back to looking to our own strength. Yet when we do and when we start to falter, remember that the Holy Spirit is right there with you. He’s always ready to provide to those who are looking to him.
 
Questions for reflection:

  1. How does the Holy Spirit change the way that we approach our spiritual needs?
  2. What are some are some of your needs? Spend some time in prayer and ask God to use his Spirit to fill you up.
Garrett Crown | Student Ministries Associate