I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18
Worth it?
Is it worth it? We ask ourselves this question many times every day. Is it worth it to drive out of our way to save a few pennies on gas? Is it worth it getting the kids out of the car, or should we just use the drive-through? Is it worth it paying for next-day shipping, or can we wait a few extra days?
Thankfully, there is one decision that is so clear we have no need to wonder, “Is it worth it?” God tells us that our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us. In other words, if you piled all your sufferings on one side of a scale and on the other side the glory that awaits you in heaven, the scale would tip fast to the side of glory. In fact, the answer would be so obvious you would wonder why you even bothered to weigh them at all.
Is it worth it to go through suffering on your way to heaven? Is it worth it to continue to fight against sin? Is it worth it to be made fun of and looked down on for your faith? Is it worth it to go through loneliness, poverty, disease, trusting in God’s power to save? Is it worth it to suffer things like these? God says that it will be so worth it that it isn’t even worth comparing.
Think about your worst day. No matter how bad it was or what happened, a time is coming when you will be so happy, content, perfect, and at peace that your worst day won’t even be remembered. No matter how bad things get, God promises you that the good coming in your eternal future will far outweigh any bad you go through now.
Is it worth the suffering to be with Jesus? God’s Word tells you not even to compare the present with the future. The glory God has in store for you is better by far.
Prayer:
Father in heaven, keep my eyes focused on the glory you promise me that I may not despair of my sufferings. Amen.
But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:25
Waiting Patiently
How many times did you wait today? Wait in line. Wait at a red light. Wait for a text. We spend a surprising amount of life waiting. Are you patient when it comes to waiting?
The Christian life is a life of waiting. We wait for Christ to return. We wait for the resurrection of our bodies. We wait for the day when sin is gone, and every promise God has made is fulfilled before our eyes. Yet notice how the apostle Paul describes that waiting: “We wait for it patiently.”
Patience doesn’t come naturally. There’s a reason it’s called a virtue. By nature, we want God to work according to our timetable. In a world where instant information is at our fingertips, this has only been magnified. But biblical patience is the quiet confidence that rests in God’s promises even when his timing remains hidden.
Think of a farmer. After planting his seed, he cannot make it grow by worrying. He cannot rush the harvest by checking the field every hour. He waits because he trusts that, in the proper season, the crop will come. So, too, our heavenly Father has already planted every promise in the death and resurrection of his Son. The harvest is certain. The only thing left is God’s appointed day.
That changes how we carry today’s crosses. We do not endure suffering to prove our strength. Rather, we trust that it is often through waiting that the Lord strengthens us through his Word. We wait because we know our Savior keeps every promise. One day the waiting will end. The trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised. The crown that Jesus won will be a joyful reality, and every cross will be behind you. But until that glorious day, keep waiting, not with anxious uncertainty, but with joyful confidence. It will be worth the wait because no cross compares with the crown of glory that awaits.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you have promised that you will come again to take your people home. Keep me faithful as I wait for that glorious day. Give me patience that rests in your promises, courage to bear the crosses of this life, and confidence that nothing can separate me from your love. Amen.
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? Romans 8:24
Saved In Hope
When you say, “I hope so,” what do you mean? “I hope the traffic isn’t bad…I hope it doesn’t rain.” It’s a wish more than a guarantee. That is not the hope in our Bible verse today: “In this hope we were saved.” Notice the tense. We were saved. Jesus has already accomplished everything necessary for our salvation. On the cross, he declared, “It is finished.” He paid for every sin. He declared that whoever believes in him already has eternal life.
So, if we are already saved, why do we still hope? Because while our salvation is complete, it has not yet been fully revealed. We possess God’s promises by faith, but we have not yet seen their fulfillment with our eyes. Think of a child on Christmas Eve. The gifts are already under the tree. They can see their name on the presents. Yet the child still waits eagerly for morning, longing to unwrap what has already been bought. So, too, our inheritance is already ours because of Christ. Yet we eagerly await the day when every promise is opened before us.
That is why Paul says, “Hope that is seen is no hope at all.” If we could already see heaven, there would be no need for hope. If our bodies had already been raised, there would be no need for waiting. But we’re not there yet. So, what do we do now? We live by God’s promises, trusting that God’s Word speaks a reality greater than what our eyes can see. A hospital room doesn’t look like victory, but Jesus says, “Your body will rise.” Tears of loneliness shed on a pillow don’t look comforting, but Jesus says, “You are my child.”
One day hope will no longer be necessary. Faith will become sight when we see Jesus’ face and rejoice in the glory that cannot be compared to present suffering. Until that day, we live in hope—not because we are guessing what the future holds, but because we know the One who holds the future.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for accomplishing my salvation completely. When my eyes are fixed on the troubles of this world, turn my heart again to your sure promises. Amen.
