Patience for Hope

I'm sorry that this is going out later in the morning. I know that for some of you, this is asking for patience. I found myself unexpectedly ministering to people until midnight or so last night. I didn't get to bed until 2:30 and I wasn't in the right mindset to write this post yet for today. So, I went to sleep and, since I didn't have an early morning meeting, I overslept a little. Now I am here.

This is one of those mornings where I have to force myself to read Scripture, pray, and write a blog post (daily devo). I don't know if you have mornings like this or not, but every day does not necessarily come easily for me. Some days I have to fight through the struggles. Sometimes they are my own struggles. Sometimes they are wrestling with the enemy in intercessory prayer and counselling on behalf of others. Life, and ministry, can be hard work.

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:16-25 NIV)

Last evening, for example, I was wrestling with a computer. (I know, big surprise, right?) We have been working on many technological upgrades that will allow us to record our services at HD quality and make them available on the internet. One of our "small group" people emailed me yesterday to let me know that she would not be able to make it to group and asked if we were going to record it that night. I told her I though we could because I had been working on that machine and had everything working perfectly this past Sunday afternoon. Last night, though, was a different story. I couldn't even get the machine to boot up. Whether it is infected with viruses, has a corrupt hard drive, or simply has problems with its new operating system, the result was the same. I was working right up to the moment we started Bible study and could not get the recording machine to work.

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will repay each person according to what they have done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. (Romans 2:1-8 NIV)

I don't know if you know this or not, but I pretty much work for God's purposes in my life, my marriage, my family, and to build up His Body (The Church) all the time. My "work day" (focused on The Church) ranges from 12 to 16 hours a day, six days a week. Sometimes I am blessed by seeing the people around me who are just as committed to God and God's Kingdom as I am. Sometimes I am not. In either situation, there are times when the hard work and long days lead me think, "Lord Jesus, come quickly." I'm ready for the hard work to be done and the new heaven and new earth to begin. I wake up, though, and greet each new day with God and I remember that as long as God has given me today, He has work for me to do.

How about you? Are you ever ready for Jesus to return so the work can stop? Do you ever get distracted or even overwhelmed by the work, the battle, or the struggle in this life? Do you have to exercise patience as you wait for the Hope that we have?