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)
This is the season where the words, joy, peace and hope are often used to celebrate the Christmas season. These are good words, biblical words, but also words that people from different religions, races and cultures hang diverse meanings on.
But in the mix of humanities worldviews, how true it is that we all generally share a commonality of having an inbuilt longing for joy, peace and hope. Mankind is driven by the pursuit of these three necessities of life.
But my question is - where can true joy, true peace and true hope be found?
Many pursuit these three with a passion, religiously, politically, financially, and hedonistically which only proves to be effort that is all in vain! King Solomon, proved this and left on record, saying - I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. Ecclesiastes 2:1
So, where is authentic joy peace and hope to be found?
The scriptures tell us they are only found in Jesus Christ. By God’s grace through faith (believing) true joy, peace and hope from God can be found.
I like how C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity kind of sums this up - “God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”
Joy, peace and hope are not found in Jesus in a manger (as many like to think). The Saviour who was a babe in a manger became the joy, peace and hope-giving Saviour when He paid for our sin in His death on the cross. Its only through believing in His cross-work we can have joy, peace and hope!