Romans 8:18-30
18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children,[j] including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope[k] for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers[l] in harmony with God’s own will.28 And we know that God causes everything to work together[m] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn[n] among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
I live with a four year old, which is a whirlwind experience. You never know if you are going to get given a nice picture of a glitter unicorn and a kiss on the cheek or a full rage meltdown with threats of violence because they wanted to pour their own honey on their breakfast cereal. One thing that is guaranteed is that at least once a day, there will be a full meltdown because she wants something and has no desire to wait.
I will never ever wait to see Nanny. I want to see Nanny right now! I want my birthday party right now! I want chocolate now! I am hungry!!!!!
Which, despite the anger and tears, is still kind of cute on my four year old and always makes me smile. It is less cute when we do it.
We live in a world of right now. I want my delivery right now. I want my TV show right now. I want food delivered right now. Everything is immediate and on demand. This cultural obsession with the immediate spills over into our faith as well. I want God to speak right now. I want breakthrough in my prayers right now. I want to grow right now. And God simply does not operate this way.
Instead God invites us to wait. He asks us, can you follow me when the timing is mine and not yours? When what you long for feels far away. When your hope is a distant flicker.
Paul describes an eager hope, for Jesus to return and to rescue us from death and sin. He describes the whole world groaning for this day - every atom and every cell longs for the day when sin is totally irradiated and everything is made right.
Yet as we wait. God gives us glimpses of eternity. In our weakness, the Holy Spirit helps us. He ministers to us. He strengthens us. When we don’t know what to pray, he gives us the words and the emotions that we need. In fact, everything that is happening is bringing us a step closer to glory. There is nothing that can pull you further from God, each moment you are getting closer to the promises that God has for you.
Like my daughter, I hate waiting. But the kind of waiting that God asks of us it not purposeless. Every moment we are a step closer to him, a step closer to true freedom and a stop closer to salvation. God is using everything in your life for good. It is like the app which shows the delivery driver with your food. Jesus is not absent - he is working. He is moving. He is healing and restoring. He is doing something amazing in our day.
So, whatever your battle or frustration is today take a moment to pause and lean into the Holy Spirit. Let his presence sustain you. Let his peace fill you. Let his words minister to you. Waiting is terrible when you have no idea what the outcome will be. However, God never asks us to wait alone.
