THE GOD OF HOPE AND PEACE

 

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

 

THE GOD OF HOPE AND PEACE

 

Rom 15:13

13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

 

Heb 13:20-21

20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 

          Benedictions may seem inappropriate in the early morning, but a closer look easily discerns their value. These two departing blessings bear the markings of the same author, although the writer of Hebrews cannot be confirmed. These express a desire for good things to belong to the ones the writer is about to bid adieu.

          Hope rests upon the foundation of a personal experience and relationship of faith. Its product is joy and peace. Joy is cheerfulness coupled with calm delight. Peace is quietness coupled with prosperity. Peace is that sigh of satisfaction that signals the end of a hard but productive day’s work. “In believing” describes the lifestyle of one who has entrusted his or her spiritual well-being to Christ.

 

          The writer of Hebrews specifies a particular kind of peace. Peace is strengthened by a definite article making the reading “this very peace.” It is founded upon the resurrection of Jesus through the satisfying blood of the everlasting covenant. Wow! That is a lot of theology in just one verse, but the writer wants to be clear.

 

          The word “perfect” is the Greek katartizo and it means to be “complete, thoroughly repaired, and fully furnished.” This completeness, which is a work of the Holy Spirit, equips us for our tasks and assignments. We have been given all we need to avoid failure.

 

Dear empowering and perfecting Spirit, I pray today for my friends, some of whom stand on different sides of various issues, that they may find the common ground of your will by yielding to you. I pray that they may enjoy hope and peace in believing. AMEN