Page 141 - Biblical Counseling II-Textbook

Study Section 19: Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this course and learned information that you can take with you into your life. As you
finish this course, I want to leave you with a meditation titled “The Example of Christ” based on Romans
15:13. This medication comes from Abide, a Christian app that has daily meditations. I listened to this
one this morning and feel like God wants me to share it with you. Find a quiet place where you can read
this and spend some time in prayer:

“Would you describe yourself as hopeful? Romans 15:13 is essentially a prayer and a promise that Paul
has for each of us “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing so you will
abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Pause a moment and take a deep breath asking God for
that filling. As you breathe, feel your heart rate settle and your mind clear so you can hear from God
today. Notice what God is called in this verse: The God of Hope. What do you think when you hear that
verse? Paul isn’t asking you to work harder. He’s inviting you to draw closer. When you ask God to fill
you with His Spirit, you will abound in hope. It’s the work of the Spirit in your life that brings that
abundance. We all fall short in living and experiencing the fullness of this passage. But the truth is we
aren’t the focus and certainly not the solution. Only God can fill you with all peace and believing, so that
you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. There is our promise.

The word hope has a lot of synonyms. Words like wish, desire, and anticipate. As we continue, breathe
deeply and slowly as you anticipate God, as you desire him, as you wish for his presence. Focus and
center on the God of hope. Posture yourself now, as you continue in this time of peaceful meditation.

[Now with your eyes closed], continue to breathe deeply, hold it and exhale anything distracting you
from God today. Maybe things that are the opposite of hope. Thoughts of hopelessness, doubt, or fear.
Offer your confession to Him and thank Him for His unending love, grace, mercy and protection. God is
the God of hope. The Holy Spirit guides us to believe. And Jesus is our example of living a life of joy and
peace. Focus and center on Him. Let’s pray:

Heavenly father, your word reminds us that faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof
of what we cannot see. You are the God of Hope. By faith You fill me with all joy and peace in believing.
And your Son is proof that I will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for hope, joy,
peace and believing. In this I give thanks to you by your Spirit. And in the name of your Son, Amen.

Finally, if you have suggestions for topics to add to the course or would like to tell me sections you felt
were especially meaningful, feel free to email me at suremans@mac.com. For example, I ran out of
time and space to include grief which I plan to add. I will continue to make changes to the course before
I (hopefully!) teach it on campus next summer.

Thank you for all your work! I will be praying for your health and that we all can return to campus soon.

In Him,

Cathi Schuurmann

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