Saturday, October 20, 2012

Hope beyond our suffering

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

We like to compare things, don't we?  We do it all the time. We compare our lives to others lives. We compare all manner of material things we possess with the material things others (even stores) possess. We do this because it seems as if it's in our nature, right?  I'm not saying EVERYONE compares things, but it's a seemingly natural phenomena that we are all familiar with.

We are told here in this verse something very important.

The sufferings we experience right now  (that means the worst of the worst suffering we can ever imagine - because maybe we aren't experience that type of suffering but we know others are) can't be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us.

What's that mean?

We know that it's not unheard of to give incentive to people to get through some tough work by promising them the delight of a long vacation, right? Or we tell our children that they have to endure school but summer vacation is coming. We hype up the holidays as periods between the stress of the mundane.

How often do the vacations, the holidays, the special events, the weekends we have off work NOT live up to all the expectation of them? Quite often, right?  We wouldn't trade them for work, but we somehow were expecting more- maybe more rest, or more fun, more time alone, more time with friends, more time relaxing. We live out our vacations, holidays, and weekends under the looming return to work/school/our normal life from those times.

The sufferings of this world.

Can you think of a really, really bad situation of suffering that exists in our world -- if not for yourself then for someone else?

The opposite of that horrific suffering would be amazing joy, amazing happiness, right?

Going through a really hard, really awful situation often makes us appreciate the good times a lot more, doesn't it? Yet that awful time while still a memory, perhaps even a vivid one, can't begin to compare to the good time coming in the future. 

Can we use this as HOPE?

Seriously. We use holidays, vacations, and weekends as hope, don't we?  They are the things we look forward to, the things we hope for.

If you are on a permanent holiday- say retired- do you still look forward to those things- weekends, vacations, holidays?  I think you do, but on a different level, for different reasons. Retirement doesn't give someone access to the perfect vacation life day in and day out. A lot of people want to keep busy even after they retire, not necessarily with the same work they were doing before or under the same rigid schedule, but they need to fill their days with something and very few have access to the wealth it would take to fill their lives with endless ease  without monumental boredom and tediousness.

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Do we need to use the HOPE of glory in God to get through the suffering we experience now?

YES.

READ ALL of the following verses… seriously all of them, please.  And then tell me, do we need to use HOPE of the glory of GOD to get through the suffering we experience now.

Psa_16:9  Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in HOPE.

Psa_31:24  Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that HOPE in the LORD.

Psa_33:18  Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that HOPE in his mercy

Psa_33:22  Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we HOPE in thee.

Psa_38:15  For in thee, O LORD, do I HOPE: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.

Psa_39:7  And now, Lord, what wait I for? My HOPE is in thee.

Psa_42:5  Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? HOPE thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

Psa_71:5  For thou art my HOPE, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.

Psa_71:14  But I will HOPE continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.

Psa_78:7  That they might set their HOPE in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

Psa_119:81  CAPH. My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I HOPE in thy word.

Psa_119:114  Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I HOPE in thy word.

Psa_119:116  Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my HOPE.

Psa_130:5  I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I HOPE.

Psa_130:7  Let Israel HOPE in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

Psa_146:5  Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose HOPE is in the LORD his God

Psa_147:11  The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that HOPE in his mercy.

Pro_10:28  The HOPE of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.

Jer_17:7  Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose HOPE the LORD is.

Lam_3:24  The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I HOPE in him.

Lam_3:26  It is good that a man should both HOPE and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

Act_2:26  Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in HOPE

Rom_4:18  Who against HOPE believed in HOPE, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

Rom_5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in HOPE of the glory of God.

Rom_5:4  And patience, experience; and experience, HOPE:
Rom_5:5  And HOPE maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Rom_12:12  Rejoicing in HOPE; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer

Rom_15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have HOPE.

Rom_15:13  Now the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in HOPE, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Gal_5:5  For we through the Spirit wait for the HOPE of righteousness by faith.

Eph_1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the HOPE of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints

Col_1:5  For the HOPE which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel

Col_1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the HOPE of glory

1Th_5:8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the HOPE of salvation.

2Th_2:16  Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good HOPE through grace

1Ti_1:1  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our HOPE

Tit_1:2  In HOPE of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began

Tit_2:13  Looking for that blessed HOPE, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ

Tit_3:7  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the HOPE of eternal life.

Heb_3:6  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the HOPE firm unto the end.

Heb_6:11  And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of HOPE unto the end

Heb_6:18  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the HOPE set before us

1Pe_1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively HOPE by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

1Pe_1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and HOPE to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ

1Pe_1:21  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and HOPE might be in God.

1Pe_3:15  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the HOPE that is in you with meekness and fear

1Jn_3:3  And every man that hath this HOPE in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.



Do we?
Do we need to use hope to ease our suffering here and now?



HOPE


Heb_11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.


And faith is…


Heb_11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith- the substance of things HOPED for the evidence of things not seen.


Yes, we need hope, blessed hope.


Tit_2:13  Looking for that blessed HOPE, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ


Hope beyond the suffering in all it's many shapes and forms, hope in the riches of HIS glory.


Eph_1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the HOPE of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints

HOPE.

JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOR, OUR HOPE in HIS GRACE and MERCY!

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

All the suffering will NOT be comparable in any way to the GLORY of our GOD, the glory that will be revealed in us! 

The GLORY is so far beyond our comprehension we can't imagine it fully.  We all too often let our suffering become our all in all, it's so easy to do because we are feeling the heavy pain, the heavy grief of our suffering, but it is SATAN who wants us to let all our suffering lead us to despair, to lead us to hopelessness.  We MUST believe that anything we endure now is TEMPORARY to ETERNITY in OUR SAVIOR'S GLORY!  We must have this hope, this faith!

All through HIS power! All through HIM may we have this HOPE in us!

All in HIS LOVE!

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