Romans 15:13
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.
When I was in high school I worked part-time for my brother-in-law. He operated a small gas station. Back then there was no such thing as self-service. It was always full service, which meant filling with gas, washing the windows, checking under the hood, and checking the tire pressure. All of that followed the request to fill–er up!
What a sad change of attitude in our current culture. The only request that is made today is whether we wish to pay by cash or credit card. There is most often a lack of service. You might say that the (service) stations are more interested in what you can do to make their lives easier than the other way around.
I want to get off that pet peeve and focus on the spiritual implications we find in this verse. The Apostle Paul is uttering a prayer for his readers. His prayer is that we might be filled up with joy and peace. I like that! He does include a condition for the Lord to FILL –ER UP! We are to trust in Him.
As I recall those long ago days at the service station, it was with an air of expectancy that customers drove up to the pumps. In like manner we need to draw near to the heart of God and expect to be filled with His high octane dose of joy and peace. I like that! Fill me up, Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil