Our Abundant Hope

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 Spirit. Romans 15:13

My daughter Hope is only 1.5 years old, but she has BIG personality. She is expansive, full of life, rarely shy, always chattering away to family and friends, doggies and cars that pass by. My mother has said that Hope never acts like she’s the new kid on the block, even though she has only been on the earth a short time.  She has the wonderful ability to lighten the mood wherever she goes; unfazed by chaos, she will greet you with a grin so wide that her eyes squeeze shut.  She is the merriment in my life.

Hope’s nature helps me understand what it means to “abound in hope.”  Abound can mean to “overflow” or “exist in great quantities, a surplus.”  When I gave my heart to Christ, He gave me a hope that no matter what happens in my life, I will one day see His glory and live with Him. I know no greater hope.  But I only just realized that this kind of hope is one that spawns even more hope.  I picture hope bursting at the seams.  The idea is to be uncontainable, inundated with hope; saturated with hope and filled up to the point that we are running over with hope.  Where there is progress and good news, there is still hope.  Where there is regression and sorrow, there is still more hope.  Hope is plenteous; it never runs out.

In the face of autism and MS, I want to exude this kind of hope. Because of the hope of Christ, I can joyously anticipate the future.  God is the God of hope.