Fruit of believing

Every morning I can enjoy a wonderful ocean view. All that I need to do is just look out the patio doors. Instead of enjoying the view, I may choose to read or just gaze into my cereal bowl. Human factors and choices can limit our view of life and things around us.

Our text for today reminds us that faith in God sets the tone for life. Hope, joy and peace are not just pleasant-sounding words on a page. Hope, joy and peace are gifts from God. Listening to the news, scanning the latest from MSN and Yahoo, or sharing the latest events over coffee can shape our outlook on life. Our human vision often leads us to sombre gloom and even doom for us, those around us and troubled places in the world.

The good news is that believing in God changes everything. By the power of the Holy Spirit we may abound in hope. The fruit of faith in the God of hope is joy and peace. This does not mean that all troubles and dark times will disappear. The gift of faith helps us to see beyond human limits.

God of hope, fill us with all joy and peace in believing. Amen. — JW