Day 1
Overflowing Hope!
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. [Romans 15:13]
I love that phrase from today’s verse: “Overflow with hope”!
I’ll never forget seeing the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team at the Oakland Arena as a kid. During the game, star player and prankster Meadowlark Lemon doused a ref with a pail of water, then grabbed a second pail and ran through the aisles with it, threatening to pour it over the crowd. We all screamed as he ran right to the end of our row and then dumped the entire contents of the bucket over us… which to our surprise and delight contained only confetti!
I tell that story to point out a simple truth: You can only overflow with what’s been poured into you. It’s pointless to try to overflow with hope if you’re busy pouring anxiety and fear into your life. Is your day filled with news reports about the latest disaster? Is your conversation full of gossip and criticism? Is your bedtime reading a source of stress? Then you’ll overflow not with the clear water of hope, but with the confusing confetti of dread, pessimism, and negativity.
For at least the next seven weeks, try something else. Try filling your mind with hope.
Every day, for the next 50 days, read one of these devotions. Try to memorize the Scriptures, pray the prayers and consider the questions. Look for creative ways to spread hope through words and actions. And cut back as much as you can on any negative input (especially first thing in the morning, when you set the tone for the day, and last thing at night, when you essentially tell your mind how to dream).
You’ll find in a few short weeks that you’ll have a sense of relaxed optimism and a calm confidence — in short, you will overflow with hope!
In contrast to a freaked-out world, let’s be people of joyful hope!
Question to Consider
What tends to overflow from my heart: Pessimism and worry, or optimism and hope? How is this reflected in my attitude?
Prayer
Lord, instead of overflowing with anxiety, insecurity, or fear, help me to have so much hope inside me that I overflow with it.
