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Thursday 21 September 2017

"Groaning in Labour... Wait for It with Patience."

I ask for the grace to be and do what I need to be and do.  May we let go of what has been so that what can be, can be.  May we trust that God will indeed provide... abundantly.


Romans 8:18-25
18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; 23and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.


1) "...not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us;" "...creation waits with eager longing;" "...children of God;" "...the creation itself;" "...set free from its bondage to decay;" "...bondage to decay;" "...freedom of the glory;" "...the whole creation;" "...groaning in labour pains;" "...not only the creation, but we ourselves;" "...in hope we were saved;" "...we wait for it with patience;" "...the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed;"


2) How do we keep forgetting this?  "[The] sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us."  We've been waiting a long time.  Its like the teacher left telling us we could have a second marshmallow if we waited for her return without eating the marshmallow we have... only she left for 2,000 years!  hence... "we wait for it with patience."  The ultimate in delayed gratification.  I do believe verse 18.  I do believe "the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us."  I do believe that.  I do believe we are on the precipice of the glory of the children of God.  But on a cosmic scale... the precipice is relative and that glory may or may not be in my lifetime.  Can we trust that the groaning we hear in creation is indeed labour pains?  "...groan inwardly while we wait for adoption,"  Can we keep our groaning inward?  can we learn to wait for it with patience?


3) To wait with patience.  To trust that the freedom of the glory of the children of God is about to be revealed to us.  To trust the creations' groaning is labour pains for the first fruits of the spirit.


"Holy One, bring us to the joyful conclusion of these labour pains!"


Breathprayer: "Groaning in labour... wait for it with patience."



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