“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

“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest fro the people of God, for whatever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.  Let us therefore strive to enter that rest…” Hebrews 4:9-11

It can be easy for us when we are anxious, lacking peace and lacking joy, to look at God and say:

“God?  Why aren’t you giving me joy?  Why aren’t you supplying me with peace?  Why don’t I feel hope?  You are supposed to give us these things.  I read the bible, and it appears that Christians should, by nature, possess joy, peace, and hope… yet you have not given them to me.  I know I cannot give them to myself, I can only get them from you, but you have not given them.”

We say this as though the grace for joy, peace and hope should come to us, as autonomous objects, direct from the sky.  Yet, in Romans 15:13, Paul tells us that we are filled with joy, peace, and hope through believing.  God’s grace for joy, peace, and hope will come to us in the form of a rugged belief in the faithfulness of God availed to us.  We are to engage all our energies to trust God.  We are to strive, as the author of Hebrews reminds us, to enter the rest that comes apart from works, but comes as ardent trust in the promises of God availed to us in Christ.

God, in the midst of the trial, in the midst of anxiety, let me escape to you for refuge.  Grant me oh God, grace to strive to enter your rest, so that in believing I might inherit the hope, peace and joy which is our adornment in Christ!