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| God has a big, big house. |
Romans 8:15-23 (Living) 15 And so we should not be like cringing, fearful slaves, but we should behave like God's very own children, adopted into the bosom of his family, and calling to him, "Father, Father." 16 For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we really are God's children. 17 And since we are his children, we will share his treasures--for all God gives to his Son Jesus is now ours too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later. 19 For all creation is waiting patiently and hopefully for that future day when God will resurrect his children. 20,21 For on that day thorns and thistles, sin, death, and decay --the things that overcame the world against its will at God's command--will all disappear, and the world around us will share in the glorious freedom from sin which God's children enjoy.
22 For we know that even the things of nature, like animals and plants, suffer in sickness and death as they await this great event. 23 And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us--bodies that will never be sick again and will never die.
OBSERVATION
Yesterday we talked about the power that we have from the Holy Spirit to live this “new life” and that He makes us able to please God.
Since we are able to please God (Romans 8:4-5) then we should not be afraid of Him but instead we should act like a member of His family. We are His children with all the rewards that come from having a rich father.
We have many benefits as His child, I will mention some today and share some more of them tomorrow. He has prepared a kingdom for us (Matthew 25:34), He has a new body for us (verse 23), He gave us his Son don’t you think that He will give us everything else (verse 32)?
But if we are going to be a part of that future glory then first we have to endure some trouble here on this earth (verse 17). Just like it is in your family, there are hard times that you go through, lots of trouble everywhere sin has caused all of creation to suffer (verse 22-23) but hopefully you ride out the storms together and come through them closer than you were before.
Just don’t get too worked up about this suffering that you are doing down here because it isn’t nothing compared to the glory that is to come. And beside that “we know that everything that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans (verse 28).
APPLICATION
I will wait patiently for Christ return despite the difficult times that I must go through.
PRAYER
Jesus, help me to remember that I have the easy life. I could have been born in a country that doesn’t tolerate faith in You, suffering along with so many countless others. They have it bad just like Paul did but he was still able to say that this pain isn’t anything compared to what is to come in heaven.
