FOR THE NEW YEAR, I RESOLVE*
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that
by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." (Rom. 15:13, RSV)
May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of
your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the
Holy Spirit.(Rom. 15:13, TEV)
During this time of the year many people will make New Year's resolutions.
Many will resolve to quit smoking, lose some weight, read the Bible more, save
more, stop drinking and other self-improvements. Some people speak
disparagingly about making New Year's resolutions. They believe that these
promises are worthless. This cynicism could indicate that they have no
hope for the coming year being better than the last. The events of September
11th have definitely increased the number of people who feel hopeless. With the
world and our country in such turmoil and upheaval, it's easy to give way to
despair regarding the goodness of man, the church, our country and the present
and the future. Sometimes we feel like crying out with the prophet Jeremiah,
when he said, "Is there no medicine in Gilead? Are there no doctors there?
Why, then, have my people not been healed?" (Jer. 8:22, TEV)
But, praise be to God! In all of our situations and circumstances there is
always a Word from the Lord! The present text challenges us to maintain an
attitude about the present and the future that is different from the
pessimist. Paul closes this passage with a beautiful benediction of intercession
for all people who are part of the unified Body of Christ. He points out three
reasons for hope in the New Year.
First, the God of Hope declares that we can abound in hope. The Bible speaks
repeatedly of our God and His high hopes for us. Our Father is not in despair
about our future: He wants us to face the future with hope. He makes His
desires come to fruition by giving us all that we need (Heb. 6:19; Rom 15:4; Ps.
119:42-81; Titus 1:2).
Hope fills us with excitement. Hope produces patience and persistence.
Hope helps us face our future. The God of Hope fills us with hope.
Second, the God of Hope desires to fill us with joy. Not just any joy, but
a joy that is indescribable. The text expresses the hope that God might fill us
with all joy. Joy is an elusive and misunderstood concept. There is a difference
between joy and happiness. Happiness is an outside experience, while joy
is an inside job. Happiness is usually a temporary experience, while joy can
last forever. The cause of happiness is usually human-centered, while joy
is God-centered. This joy is everlasting (Is. 51:11), full (1 John 1:4),
abundant (2 Co. 8:2) and unspeakable (1 Pet. 1:8). The God of Hope will
fill us with joy.
Finally, the God of Hope fills us with His wonderful peace. A peace that passes
all understanding. A peace that is more than just an absence of trouble. Our God
has sent to us the Prince of Peace in Jesus Christ. Man has always sought
a trouble-free life. Augustine said something like this, "Man
is restless, until he finds rest in God." Peace comes to man in his
relationship with God. God alone is the source of our peace (Phil. 4:7; John
14:27; Gal. 5:27). Paul declares, "Therefore being justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1).
Our text affirms that it is through the power of the Holy Spirit that the life
of hope, joy and peace is made possible. This power of the Holy Spirit and these
blessings from God come to us through believing in and trusting in the goodness
and the graciousness of our God (Heb. 11:6).
So, let us rejoice knowing that God wants to give us hope, joy and peace.
As we face the New Year, let us trust and commitment ourselves to Him who gives
the gifts through our faith in Him. As I evaluate my life, I see areas that I
need to improve and be intentional about asking the Lord to help to be better in
the New Year. So, I resolve*