79. Filled with joy and peace
Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Spirit uses the power of the Gospel to bring us to faith in Christ, and then God fills us with all joy and peace. Joy and peace produces an abundance of hope. Hope is the present reality of a future not yet seen; though we do not see the future faith makes it just as real and true and substantial in the present. We know the promises to be true because of the joy and peace that presently fills us. If we are not living in joy and peace it would be because we are not paying attention to the Gospel that brings the Spirit that produces the fruit of love, joy, and peace.
Far too many things distract us daily from the Gospel and lead us away to dead end trails, and even believers lose their peace. This does not need to happen, but we admit that distraction happens. “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion [Luke 11:41-42].” The “one thing needful” is listening to Jesus: go to church, hear the Gospel; spend time in the Word and prayer. The promise of the Gospel is that God will fill you with joy and peace. This joy and peace that comes through the power of the Holy Spirit is always available, because the Gospel is always available to us; it is as close as the mouth and the heart, to confess and believe. One does have to be “in church” to hear the Gospel, but hearing the Gospel publicly preached greatly helps us apply the Gospel to ourselves every other day of the week.
Come back to the Gospel whenever joy and peace seem to be inactive. Take hold of this wonderful promise by choosing the “good portion,” listening to Jesus speak His words of love and forgiveness. When one does so the Holy Spirit grants the power to believe, and believing brings joy and peace. That’s a promise.