Romans 8: 18– 27 God Hears Our Prayers
18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that 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. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23 and 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. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
What the passage says
V. 18-21 The creation (world) is under a bondage of decay. There will be a time for God to lift up the bondage and reveal the beauty of God’s creation. Until then, we do not see the full beauty of God’s kingdom.
V. 22-25 That is why we have hope in Jesus. The inward and outward groaning of hope have been fulfilled with Jesus. However, we still wait for the hope to be completely revealed in God’s kingdom.
V. 26-27 That is why the Holy Spirit is with us, as we live in this hopeless world, in hope.
What does the passage say to me/us?
What we see is not the complete picture. There is a glorious kingdom that awaits us. The beauty of this world does not even compare, and cannot compare.
However, it doesn’t mean that we need to withdraw from the world and let it decay in its hopelessness. That is the reason why the Holy Spirit is with us. The Holy Spirit interceded for the children of God, who yearns for God’s will to be done in this world. And when the people of God present the hope that comes from Jesus, that is when the hopeless world sees the hope of the kingdom.
Prayer
Lord, hold us in your hands. Help us to be filled with the hope that comes from you, not from the world. Help us to present that hope to others, during this time of Christmas.
In Christ name, AMEN.
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