May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).
Our Father and Lord, You are God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas... (Psalms 65:5). You teach us the link between trust and hope. And Your word promises that No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame (Psalm 25:3).
We confess to You, Lord, that our trust is too often shaky. You know how easy it is for us to become overwhelmed by our circumstances, overwhelmed by the world, with all its difficulties, injustices, chaos, and evil.
But You have shown us that in the direst of circumstances, You are there. You never leave us in the ashes of suffering, pain, grief, and despair. You have given us powerful examples in Scripture of how hope does not disappoint" (Romans 5:5 -NKJV).
We see the God of hope in Job's story. You were there in the deep physical and emotional trauma, even as he took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes (Job 2:8). And in his story, You show us that though we often struggle to understand, You answer our anguished "Why" with Your staggering "Who" (Job 38-42).
We see the God of hope in Mary Magdalene's story. In the aftermath of the crucifixion—after the agonizing wait through the Sabbath—we meet her, before full dawn on Sunday, utterly bereft and bewildered, looking for a body that wasn't there.
O Lord, how often like Mary, like Job, our grief, our pain, our emotions blind us to Your presence even as we look for You! We cry out like her, "Tell me where...and I will get Him" (John 20:15), or like him, "If only I knew where to find Him" (Job 23:3). And there You are, speaking our name, offering the "Who" of Your presence for our "Why's" and our "Where's."
May we see the God of hope in our own story. In all of the challenges and the trials, the turmoil and the trauma, may we hold fast to the deep truth of Easter—that after the dark despair of Friday, and the slow silence of Saturday, comes the overflowing joy and hope of Sunday.
May the resurrection cause us to fix our eyes on the God of limitless power and might. Increase our trust. Fill us with all joy and peace. Fill us to overflowing with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
As we look forward to Easter, we praise You for Your staggering salvation plan—from the amazing grace of the crucifixion, through the triumphant victory of the resurrection. We thank You that the great and glorious Lord Jesus rose from the grave leaving the ashes of death and destruction buried forever in the depths.
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