WE GROAN IN OUR SPIRITS,

BUT WE WAIT. . .

We live in a world of great frustration.  It seems like some days and weeks are filled with uncertainty, fears and sorrow.  Sometimes we groan inwardly as our bodies are wracked with pain and grief.  We wonder when will it end and eternity will come, with its joys forever.  We all have days and weeks, sometimes even longer, with burdens pressing.  But in faith, we journey on, running the race to gain our eternal prize, the prize of Christ Jesus and our heavenly home.

“A Christian’s experience is like a rainbow made up of drops of griefs on earth and beams of happiness of heaven. It is a checkered scene, a garment of many colors.  He is sometimes in the light and sometimes in the dark.”  By Charles H. Spurgeon, “We Shall See God”

Our lives consists of times of grief as we travel here, but our hope is in the eternal joy of heaven.  It is indeed like a rainbow.  Sometimes we can see and feel His presence so clearly and other times trouble and many trials hide His lovely face.

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the redemption of the sons of God” Romans 8:18-19

The Apostle Paul reminds us that all the sufferings we go through here will not even be compared to the absolute glory we shall experience in that day when we will see His glory and these bodies of ours which suffer and die will be “changed in the twinkling of an eye” (I Corinthians 15:52), to a glorious new body, no more pain, suffering, sorrow or tears.

“For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now”

Romans 8:22.

And in the meantime, the whole world is groaning, travailing, as it were, in pain waiting for that day when the Lord of Glory comes and brings peace to this world, and the days of evil and death will be gone forever, Praise the Lord!  And meanwhile we groan in our pain. We groan in our sorrow when a loved one is taken away.  We groan over financial worries.  And most important, we groan in our spirits for our loved ones who are lost without Jesus.

“Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly awaiting for the adoption, the redemption of our bodies.  For we are saved in this hope, and hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance” Romans 8:23-25.

We are told to groan after perfection, but we are to wait patiently for it, knowing that the Lord has is best.  And sometimes waiting is hard and we become impatient.  But we have this hope within us, a faith looking for those things we do not see (Hebrews 11:1).  But in our waiting we are to be ready.  We are to “stand at the door” expecting our Beloved Lord Jesus to come and receive us to Himself.

And no matter what we go through on this earth and even though we groan in our distress while we wait for that blessed day, nothing can separate us from His love.  His eternal love was demonstrated at Calvary when He gave His life for our redemption, and shed His precious blood for our sins.  And He finished that work, resurrected on the third day and now intercedes for us in Heaven.  Oh, what a Precious Lord!

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.  For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.   Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” Romans 8:26-27.

And as we pray the Holy Spirit knows our hearts and hears our groans and our hurts.  And He, Himself, searches our hearts and makes intercession for us in our need.  In fact, it says that the Spirit groans in our weaknesses, and then makes intercession for us to the Father and seeks His will in those situations for our needs.

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”  Romans 8:37-39.

No matter what we go through on this earth, and even though we groan in our distresses,  while we wait for that blessed day, nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from His love! But that Blessed day will come and all the trials and struggles we faced here will be over, and all we have been through will be worth it all when we see our Blessed Lord face to face.

“Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy will be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away” Isaiah 51:11.

In conclusion, I pray that you, dear friend, will be among those who come into heaven with singing, and everlasting joy, into that wonderful place where there will be no more mourning or sorrow.  Make that decision today if you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior.  He loves you so much.  Just ask Him right now to come into your heart and give you peace and joy and you will be ready to join in that happy throng on that Blessed day of Christ’s return.

In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon