Waiting Eagerly in this Pandemic . . . Pressing into Romans 8
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It seems that we are all waiting these days, doesn’t it? What are you waiting for, my friend, . . . maybe even waiting eagerly?
Stores and restaurants to open? Jobs to call you back in? Hospitals and nursing homes to allow visitors? Schools to reopen? Playgrounds? Pools? Churches? Beaches? State Parks?
I’m waiting eagerly. NO! I’m chomping at the bit, to be able to drive two states over to be with my military “babies.” I’m waiting to be able to grab hold of my “babies,” young and old, near (here in Dayton) and far (there in Illinois), and hug and squeeze them. And I’ll bet you have loved ones that you are dying to grab hold of and HUG too.
It’s not easy to wait, but as hard as it is, it seems that waiting . . . even waiting eagerly, is a major part of life for us believers in this fallen world. It’s not pretty, much of the time. But in the acceptance of what really is, there can also be hope.
This is what has jumped out at me in my long but rich journey (since my “dizzy days” last year) through memorizing and reflecting upon a glorious chapter of Scripture. In fact, as I always say about this passage: “Romans, chapter 8 should make a believer’s heart sing!” It certainly has done so for my heart and soul.
But in the midst of it all, a repeated phrase (which is actually just one word in the original language) began to jump out at me — the action word “wait eagerly.” So of course, I had to press in to find out who or what was “waiting eagerly” and for whom or for what were they “waiting eagerly.”
Here is the passage so you can see for yourself:
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
19 For the anxious longing of the CREATION waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the CREATION was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope
21 that the CREATION itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole CREATION groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
23 And not only this, but also WE OURSELVES, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even WE OURSELVES groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
24 For in hope WE have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?
25 But if WE hope for what we do not see, with perseverance WE wait eagerly for it.
First of all, did you notice who/what is waiting eagerly?
There are two stated:
all of CREATION (verses 19-22)
WE OURSELVES, true believers (verses 18, 23-25).
Then, what are they each waiting for? Did you see it?
Creation is waiting for the revealing of the glory of US.
WE OURSELVES are waiting for that very same thing — the revealing of the glory of our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
And this is what God had intended from the very beginning (See Genesis 1-3). That He would have a family of sons and daughters all glorious with His life coursing through their spiritual veins. But when sin entered the world, we humans as well as all creation came under the curse and couldn’t be restored until God’s family was reborn through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ and was complete in Him.
And this is our ultimate hope that we do not yet see, but for which we eagerly wait. But what does this have to do with our waiting NOW? I think, quite a bit.
The earth is beautiful but a mess. There are organisms that are attacking our bodies (which have not entered into their full redemption yet, remember?) with devastating and right now, pandemic effects. And so we are waiting and hoping . . . yes, for relief right now, but more importantly for the ultimate glory of our sonship when all of creation is redeemed and restored to God’s original intent.
And in a very real and present sense, God is doing that. We read a bit later in Romans 8:
28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
So now we HOPE, knowing that God is even using the present suffering of isolation, sickness, loss of income, distress to mold us into the character of His Son.
Please don’t despair, my brothers and sisters. Jesus our Brother is Immanuel, God With Us. He lives in and through us as us in this unique time of suffering in this fallen world, because . . .
35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 Just as it is written,
“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8 NASB
AMEN!
