‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — 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.

A tree can be a symbol of hope. Not only are trees made by God but they are also designed to transform over the years to become big and strong. I want us to reflect on four key words from this verse in Romans.

Hope: A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

Joy: A feeling of great pleasure.

Peace: Freedom from disturbance; tranquility.

Trust: Firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.

I encourage us all to pick a word to focus on today. When we start to feel discouraged, sad, or worried may this verse transform our feelings to bring us joy, to place our trust in God so that we can experience peace and hope.

What do the coming days look like for you? Maybe you have a long to-do list. Maybe your calendar is full of appointments. Perhaps not much is planned, either way, looking at a full week can be exhausting. Good news, each day has been given its own date with 24 hours. We can take it one day, one hour at a time. Treat each day as a gift. 

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for the gift of today. I desire to trust in You and what You have planned for me today so that I can experience Your peace and hope. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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