Romans 8:18-25 - Future Glory
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Revelations 21:1-7 - The New Heaven and the New Earth
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
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| This picture makes me think of Heaven - no more tears! |
During one part of the sermon, the pastor talked about his own suffering in the past couple years. In that short time, he and his wife lost 3 parents collectively, 2 grandparents, coworkers, and several other close friends. He said he did 17 funerals in those couple years, and he wondered when it was going to stop - when was the suffering going to end? But through it all, he had hope. Hope because this world is not our home. Hope because all the suffering that we experience here on this earth will be no more when we see Jesus face to face. Hope because God is faithful and He will come again, and when He comes, our tears will be no more. Suffering is a part of every human life. That is a fact. But when we put our hope in Jesus and the promise that He has made, we can have peace. Yes, our suffering may still linger and the trials may not end as soon as we would like, but there is HOPE. And when that glorious day comes, our suffering will not even compare to the beauty and glory of God!
Whether you are going through a time of trial or you are in a season of happy times, remember that God is with you! Something that always comforts me is this: Jesus went through the ultimate suffering when he died on the cross for our sins. Though our trials and suffering are very real, nothing compares to what He went through on that day. We can rest knowing that God will see us through every trial we encounter, and that He will use it for our good, whether we see it in that moment or not. Looking back on various trials in my life, I often did not see the good in the moment. But in each trial, good DID come. There was a purpose in my suffering: God used the trials to grow my faith in the Lord and to produce in me perseverance and strength. And for that, I am so thankful.
If you are interested in listening to the sermon, here is a link. The sermon is titled "Our Hope in Trials" by Shea Sumlin. Pretty much every time I turn on the news these days, I hear reports of another murder, another kidnapping, another death...there is so much sadness in this world. But let us rejoice and be patient because Jesus is coming and the troubles of this world will one day be no more!!
