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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope (Romans 15:13, ESV).
I take a multivitamin daily. It’s labeled “for men” (that’s me) and promises to benefit. . .
- energy levels
- heart health
- muscle mass
After taking my vitamin today, I think I will ride my bike for 40 miles faster than a Tour de France rider. Perhaps I will be disappointed with my cycling speed, but there are “power verses” in the Bible that live up to their advertising.
They aren’t advertised in Scripture, no large arrow pointing → to the verse, and often, they lie in the text like a diamond amidst pebbles. But when noticed (Wow!), we immediately realize their value.
Romans 15:13 is one of those verses. Let’s read it again. . .
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Consider the ingredients of promise in this verse:
- hope
- fill
- joy
- peace
- believing
- power
- spirit
- abound
Better than any multivitamin, in the 28 words of this verse, eight of them are the power teachings/doctrines of the Bible.
- Hope: The New Testament word for a great future (Romans 8:23-24)
- Fill: Also used in the phrase “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18)
- Joy: Meaning gladness that overwhelms trials (James 1:2-4)
- Peace: Bible peace is beyond understanding (Philippians 4:7)
- Believing: The foundation of salvation (Romans 10:9-10)
- Power: In Greek, the word can be translated as “dynamite,” and this power dwells within us (Ephesians 3:20)
- Spirit: Given to teach us all things (John 14:26)
- Abound: Living beyond our ability (1 Corinthians 15:58)
This verse takes all the good vegetables, fruit, and herbs from a grocery store and blends them together into one power shake. If we actually did this, I’m sure the taste would be terrible. But not with Romans 15:13, because the verse sums up all the promised benefits of walking with Jesus.
As the Apostle Peter writes. . .
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation – if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good (1 Peter 2:2-3).
I’m a proponent of memorizing Bible verses; the power verses should be memorized and meditated upon to bring the spiritual, emotional, and even physical health that we all desire. I’m not a doctor prescribing medication or a nutritionist offering the latest dietary advice, but I am a pastor with over 49 years of experience, and I can assure you that Romans 15:13 can change your life.
This verse resists the devil, releases fear, overcomes anxiety, gives patience, helps in any situation, and is generally a panacea for all our ailments.
My daughter, who holds a doctorate in Physical Therapy, talks about “non-compliant” patients who know what to do and don’t do it.
Let’s do it! Let’s memorize and meditate upon Romans 15:13!