Joy and Peace
“And again, Isaiah says, ‘The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will 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 15:12-13
Romans is one of my favorite letters written by Paul. The circumstances he is in when this is written should be an example of perspective to us all. In the passage he is writing to Jews and Gentiles alike, quoting the scripture passage of Isaiah to further solidify to the Jews the fact that Jesus Christ is not only the savior of the Jews, but the Gentiles as well. And furthermore, that he is the hope for all, and with this hope comes joy, a joy that can only be found in Christ.
But there is a condition within the scripture. That condition is that joy and peace are only for those who trust in him.
Paul could have easily looked at his situation being under house arrest in Rome and focused on the negative. But Paul knew his current circumstance should not dictate his joy. It had to come from trusting Christ in all things, knowing his hope was in the salvation of Christ, and nothing else. That is true joy.
I believe joy and peace are connected to one another. You can’t have one without the other. Earlier in Romans 14:7 Paul says: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Important to remember is where our hope comes from when we trust in Christ: the Holy Spirit.
I ask then, where do you find joy and peace? Where does your hope come from?
Perhaps Paul was preaching to himself as he penned “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.” I can’t imagine being in the same situation as Paul and having joy and peace through my circumstances. But because of his trust in Christ, he knew where his joy and peace came from.
One of my professors in Bible college said when you prepare your sermons always preach to yourself, so that way if no one else gets the message, at least you will!
So here I am preaching to myself. I need to find joy and peace in all situations, through the Holy Spirit, and that can only come from trusting in Jesus Christ.
Reflect:
Would you say you have peace and joy in all situations? If not, ask the Holy Spirit for that incredible gift.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jon Reichert will have been serving Novo as the Director of Finance for four years this summer. Jon started out in missions with YWAM and prior to Novo worked for Samaritan’s Purse. He has a BA in Pastoral Missions and International Relief & Development and a MA of Global Leadership. He lives in Sarasota, FL with his wife Monica.
