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

One of my favorite memories of church as a child is the closing benediction. The familiarity of the Presbyterian liturgies and the services’ rhythms did me good.

The benediction felt like the beginning of an epic quest. It was what Tolkien must have conjured up when writing The Lord of the Rings.

And more than that, it’s a reminder to look not to ourselves but to God. He’s the one with the hope and the power and the love unending.

It’s from Him that we can have the assurance of our faith and the encouragement that comes from deep-seated hope.

A good friend of mine’s favorite prayer is this passage from Romans, and I think he’s on to something. It’s a beautiful, simple prayer of blessing, and I would do well to emulate his example by praying it for others.

Hope, joy and peace. What would our lives be like if we had even a sliver of these three things attached to our every action?

May we be more attentive to the hope that comes from believing. May we be more grateful for the joy that comes from right living. May we be more intentional with the peace that comes from attunement to our God.

God, may I never forget these simple, timeless truths.