Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Hope has become such a "wimpy" term in modern vocabulary. It hardly qualifies as an adequate translation of the meaning in most New Testament passages. Christian hope is the assurance that what we believe will happen. We could call it spiritual confidence. We have that spiritual confidence because of what Jesus did historically in conquering death. Our hope is based on more than a mere wish, fleeting emotion, or something we think in ourselves. Our hope is rooted in this promise: the almighty and eternal God chooses to live in us through his Holy Spirit. When we become Christians, Jesus pours out the Spirit upon us (Titus 3:3-7) as God's gift to us (Acts 2:38; Acts 5:32) to cleanse us (1 Corinthians 6:11). The Spirit makes us God's child (John 3:3-7) and makes us part of the same Body (1 Corinthians 12:12-13), living inside us and pouring his love into us. We don't just have the Spirit; God keeps refreshing us by continually pouring his into us through the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus had promised (John 7:37-39).
My Prayer...
Holy and Almighty God, you are awesome in power and majestic in holiness. Thank you for coming to us in Jesus and living in us through your Spirit. Please pour your love into our hearts so that the fruit of your grace may flow from us to those around us, touching everyone around us so they can experience your grace. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
