Scheduled Reading
Nehemiah 7:73-9:37; Psalm 102:3-8; Proverbs 20:25-26; Romans 4:9-5:5
Selected Passage: Romans 5:2b
"and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."
Romans 5 is an often referenced passage. It is a favorite to refer to when one is contemplating the problem of suffering. Suffering is said, in this passage, to encourage us to persevere. If we persevere, then we grow in our character. As we grow in our character, we learn to hope. It can be read as a heart-warming passage, if we don't read it too closely.
Upon a more careful look, we might see that the passage is really more about our hope than it is our suffering. In fact suffering is simply a vehicle in which we arrive at hope.
And in what is our hope? The glory of God. So, we rejoice in our hope in the glory of God and we also rejoice in our sufferings because they usher us into our hope in the glory of God.
Why do you think the Glory of God can be described as our hope?
That is difficult to answer. However, if we understand that if God WILL be glorified and we benefit by being a part of that which glorifies Him, then we are on the cusp of beginning to understand. We are on the road to hope. Happy trails!
I often think about the slaves who were captive in America. Many of them had such strong faith in a God whom they didn't completely understand. The suffered greatly and all their "Hope" was put in a God who would one day give them peace! It was such a pure love that wasn't entangled with all the "whys" of life...many of them couldn't even read but were told stories of Jesus Christ who promised them something better on the other side where they would also find freedom!
ReplyDeleteWhen I am having a difficult time I often think about how them. The songs they sang to keep their spirit strong...it was such a simple yet pure devotion!
Wow. And couple that with the understanding that their faith was in a God that was introduced to them by those by whom they were enslaved, and I see a miracle of understanding. Would YOU believe the message of a foreign religion from the mouths of those who bought you from human traffickers?
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