Romans 12:12: Rejoicing in hope.
“Rejoicing in hope” should be the portion of the believer. The circumstances of the believer may not warrant rejoicing. The contrary may be true. But he sees the future, and in hope projects himself into other circumstances which are more favorable. I think of a brother down in my Southland years ago. In a church service they were giving favorite Scripture verses. He stood and said that his favorite verse was “It came to pass.” Everyone looked puzzled. The preacher stood up and said, “Brother, how in the world can ‘It came to pass’ be your favorite?” His answer was, “When I have trouble, and when I have problems, I like to read that verse, ‘It came to pass,’ and I know that my trouble or my problem has come to pass; it hasn’t come to stay.” He was looking for a new day out there, and that is what Paul has in mind when he says, “rejoicing in hope.” 1
Application
- When you have lost your hope, you will lose your way. (Read Romans 5:1-5)
- Read 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. If you find a renewed hope, you will find a reason to rejoice.
Prayer
Lord, help me to identify more with You and not with my circumstances.
1. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (Romans 9-16) (electronic ed., Vol. 43). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
