Day 12 — Learning to Overflow Again
Good morning, and welcome to today’s Pathway of Faith devotional.
Our scripture today comes from Romans chapter 15, verse 13.
“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 Ghost.”
Take a moment and consider those words.
“The God of hope.”
What a beautiful description of our Heavenly Father.
When you first begin emerging from a difficult season, your faith can feel fragile.
After walking through darkness, even the smallest glimpse of light feels precious.
Sometimes hope arrives as a single scripture that carries you through the morning.
Sometimes it comes as a brief moment of peace that settles a racing mind.
And when you have been running on empty for a long time, you may find yourself thinking:
“If I can just make it through today, that’s enough.”
But God desires something greater for His children.
He is not a God of scarcity.
He is a God of abundance.
He does not want you barely holding on to enough hope to survive.
He does not want you living from one spiritual crumb to the next.
His desire is for you to abound in hope.
Think about that word.
Abound.
It means to overflow.
It means to have so much that it spills over the edges.
It is the picture of a cup running over.
God is not interested in giving you a few drops of hope.
He wants to fill your life until hope becomes the atmosphere in which you live.
Notice the beautiful order found in this verse.
First, Paul calls Him the God of hope.
Hope is not merely something God gives.
Hope flows from who He is.
Because God is faithful, hope is available.
Because God is present, hope is available.
Because God never changes, hope is available.
Then Paul tells us what God uses to fill the empty places within us.
He fills us with joy.
He fills us with peace.
And He does this as we place our trust in Him.
Think about the places grief may have left behind.
The places loneliness may have touched.
The places fear may have tried to occupy.
God wants to fill those places with His presence until there is less and less room for the enemy’s whispers.
And finally, Paul tells us how this miracle takes place.
It does not happen through determination.
It does not happen through willpower.
And it does not happen because we force ourselves to be strong.
The scripture says it happens through the power of the Holy Ghost.
The same Spirit who comforted you in your darkest moments is now filling you with fresh strength.
The same Spirit who helped you take one step at a time is now teaching you how to live with confidence and expectation.
You do not have to manufacture hope today.
You do not have to create it on your own.
You simply need to open your heart and allow the Holy Spirit to pour it in.
The reservoir of God’s grace has not run dry.
And His supply is greater than your need.
Today’s Pathway Step:
Stop measuring the size of your trial and start measuring the greatness of your Provider.
Instead of praying, “Lord, just help me get through this,” pray:
“Lord, fill me until I overflow.”
Say it again.
“Lord, fill me until I overflow.”
Let that become the prayer of your heart today.
Let us pray.
God of hope, thank You that You never ration Your grace.
Thank You that Your mercy is abundant and Your love never runs dry.
Forgive me for settling for just enough to get by when You desire to fill my life with Your abundance.
Today I open every empty place in my heart to You.
Fill me with joy.
Fill me with peace.
Fill me with confidence in Your promises.
And let the power of Your Holy Spirit rise within me until hope overflows into every area of my life.
May my life become a light to others who are still searching in the darkness.
And may everything I do point people toward the hope that is found in Jesus Christ.
In His mighty name, Amen.
Thank you for joining today’s Pathway of Faith devotional.
May the God of hope fill your heart today with joy, peace, and confidence as you trust in Him. And may His Holy Spirit cause your hope to overflow into every part of your life.