JOYFUL, PATIENT, AND PERSISTENT
Be joyfulG5463 in hopeG1680, patientG5278 in affliction, persistentG4342 in prayer.
Romans 12:12
G1680. elpís; gen. elpídos, fem. noun. Hope, desire of some good with expectation of obtaining it. (48)
G5278. hupoménō; fut. hupomenṓ, from hupó (5259), under, and ménō (3306), to remain. To remain under, i.e., to persevere, endure, sustain, bear up under, suffer, as a load of miseries, adversities, persecutions or provocations with faith. (49)
G4342. proskarteréō . . . used metaphorically of steadfastness and faithfulness in the outgoings of the Christian life, especially in prayer (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 6:4; Rom. 12:12; Col. 4:2). (50)
Zodhiates, Spiros, The Complete Word Study Dictionary, New Testament
We can “be joyful in hope” because our hope is based on the promises of God, and He is faithful even when we lack faith or are unfaithful to Him.
2 Timothy 2:13 . . . if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
What are we hoping for? What good thing do we desire? Our main hope is to be forever in the presence of the Lord, no longer besieged by sin, no more worries, no more sorrow, no more tears. We can be joyful even in the middle of this world’s turmoil because our hope is based on the righteousness of Jesus and not our own ability to achieve perfection and peace. Therefore, we can also be “patient” or persevere in affliction because our hope is sure, and our faith endures:
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.
We are “persistent”—steadfast and faithful—in prayer based on our joyful hope—our expectation of obtaining all the Lord has promised.
Look at these three commands: be joyful, be patient, be persistent. Does the promise of eternal life that begins the moment you surrender your life to the Lord stir up joy in you? Christians should be the most joy-filled people on earth. Jesus loved us enough to die in our place, and He says He has gone ahead to prepare a place for us! The Holy Spirit within us can enable us to face the trials of life patiently as we pray persistently for God’s will to “be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10b). Perhaps we should use Romans 12:12 as a prayer to begin the day.
Father, help us to have joy in hoping for the day all Your promises will be fulfilled, help us to be patient when the world is particularly difficult, and help us to persist in praying that Your will be done in us.