MAY MEMORY VERSE
“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

Hope, joy, peace. What marvelous words, all included in this brief verse—a verse we can seek in times of distress. It tells us our God is hope, and He will lead us to joy and peace with a sense of purpose and a future.

The concept of hope can be expressed in both religious and secular circles. Martin Luther King sought hope with his “I Have a Dream” speech. Little Orphan Annie sings about the hope of “Tomorrow” in the Broadway musical. “Hope springs eternal in the human breast” became a classic phrase the day Alexander Pope penned it in 1733.

Paul’s letter to the Romans offers a basic introduction to Christianity. Written before the Gospels, it has become one of the most preached-on books of the Bible. In this section of Romans, Paul offers practical guidelines for living―giving ourselves to Christ as living sacrifices, obeying the government, loving our  neighbors, and taking care of the needy. He also provides reasons for us to hope and have confidence in God.

My wife Mary and I were single parents, each with a girl and a boy. We met in church and fell in love, but things weren’t so easy. We each had been through a divorce. The odds were against us―divorce rates for second marriages exceed those for first marriages. How could we learn to love someone else’s kids? Where would we live? We needed an affordable house with five bedrooms. I prayed and prayed for many days, weeks, and months, earnestly hoping God would lead the way.

Suddenly, while earnestly praying, a sense of calm swept over me. My body relaxed, and I felt uplifted. I knew―I just knew―that Mary and I should get married and blend our separate families into one, making 2+2+2=1.

God gave us hope and answered our prayers in ways we could never have imagined, leading us to joy and (mostly) peace. We found a house below-market price with four bedrooms, expandable to five. Friendly, congenial neighbors with children the same ages as ours instantly welcomed us into their circle of friends. That was 46 years ago. Each of our kids finished school, married, and had kids of their own, and we are blessed with twelve grandchildren. Today what delights us most is that our four kids and our grandkids remain friends in adulthood.

by David B. Whitehurst