June 6 ~ Romans 8:23-25
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, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Timothy is at that age where surprises are fun… if he gets them right away. We will tell him, “We have a surprise for you when we get home,” and he will ask, “What is it?” You know how this goes… we reply, “We can’t tell you, or it won’t be a surprise!” He retorts, “But I have to know now! Please tell me!” He wiggles and squirms and whines and begs… hoping we will relent and share the news.
Every single one of us understands the concept of waiting for something big. We’ve waited for Santa Claus to come on Christmas Eve… we’ve waited for birthdays and the ensuing parties and gifts. Most of us have waited for graduations and the beginnings of a new job. Some of us have waited for wedding proposals – and the actual wedding day, the births of our children, and a move into a new home. Still others have waited for things like the arrival of a new car or motorcycle… or some sort of special delivery in the mail. And others have even waited for and anticipated healing… relief from pain or suffering…the removal of a cast or stitches…or even a release from some sort of bondage or incarceration – whether literal or emotional.
We are equipped to handle waiting… though many of us do this very poorly. We have the capacity to handle this with grace and patience… yet many will fuss and fidget, wring their hands, and work themselves into a tizzy. Like Timothy and countless other small children, we need to receive whatever it is we are anticipating… and we need it now! And just like the adage that “good things come to those who wait,” we must learn to be patient and wait on the LORD’s coming… or the day when He greets us face-to-face in Heaven.
I understand that this may not seem all that tantamount to you if you are a young person… someone who still seems to have a whole lifetime of things to anticipate and enjoy in the future. I was the same way… and I still enjoy my earthly life. I still anticipate new experiences and adventures… especially the growth and progress of my nieces, nephews, and other young friends. God wants us to appreciate our life in Him for the time we are given on this earth. But the older I get… the more of my loved ones who join Jesus in heaven… the more I think about heaven for myself. And I find myself awaiting the day.
Don’t misunderstand me… I’m not eager to depart for Eternity! Let’s just say I’m confident that I will get there… and I am not afraid to go! When my grandmother was in her last months, she began to say, “I don’t know why I’m living so long.” She so anticipated heaven… she longed to be there and have a new body that gave her physical mobility and the capability of unimpeded speech. I kept reminding her that God still had work for her to do here. People needed her ministry. I don’t know who or how many… but I saw evidence of the lives she influenced to her dying breath and beyond. And it’s the same for us. We have work to do here on earth. God has given us so many blessings in this lifetime… but He has called us to minister in His name, also.
So go… live… enjoy your life – every day of it. When troubles come, figure out how to use them for God’s purposes. Follow the countless examples you have around you of people who have worshipped and served God even in the midst of incredible challenges - with patience and grace - as they waited for Him to call them to heaven. God has a “big surprise” for you… a mansion that is beyond your wildest dreams! But He won’t reveal it to you until the time is right. Like a four-year-old little boy, you will have to wait. The key question is… “How will you spend your ‘waiting time’?” Your answer… how patiently you wait… matters. What do you have to say for yourself?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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