Upper Loft Meditation - Romans 15

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” - Romans 15:4

Hope is like a muscle, it must receive nourishment and be exercised, or it begins to wither away. It is not like a fire extinguisher mounted on a wall and available for emergencies.

How should we feed our hope? From the Scriptures, we receive the nutrients, the very basis for our hope. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

Just as we must eat to live, so we must feed our hope through regular reading of the Scriptures. No one would think of eating only a Sunday morning brunch each week. With this type of habit it is no wonder people struggle clinging to their hope.

How should we exercise our hope? One ongoing exercise is the Trust Factor. How does this work? Consider how you will walk in hope today. How is your walk affected by three central truths:

1. God’s mercy is new everyday.
2. God’s grace is sufficient for all your needs.
3. God’s love for you is unfailing.

The words used in this passage convey the idea that the recipients of this letter are going through hard times. This is when hope is so important. Wrapped in the arms of Jesus you have confidence that God is faithful.