“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13
A FOUNTAIN OF HOPE
One of the ways I like to encourage myself is to go for a walk. In my neighborhood there are a couple of ponds with walking paths around them. The largest pond has two fountains. I often stop to watch the water whoosh up into the air and cascade back down. Sometimes the wind catches the water droplets and sends them splashing. The sun makes the water sparkle. It’s a simple but beautiful sight to watch. The water in this pond is much clearer than the other ponds as the fountain circulates and aerates the water. I pause and enjoy the beauty of the fountains as I walk slowly around the pond. At every angle, the water continues to soar into the air and bring refreshing to the birds, the fish, the plants, and people.
When the Apostle Paul writes about the God of hope filling us with joy and peace, I can see hope being like the huge stream of water overflowing from the fountain. God is like the fountain. He draws up hope like the water in the pond and sends it spraying out everywhere! Unlike the fountains in the pond, which sometimes gets clogged or break down, God never stops working! God continually pours out to bless and refresh people with hope, joy and peace. Like the water in the fountains, may our hope never stop overflowing as we rely on God, our never-ending source of hope.
“Lord God, You are our fountain of hope. Fill us today with abounding joy and peace as we trust in You. May the power of the Holy Spirit continually soak us as we overflow with the hope that comes from You! Amen.”