Romans 5:3-4
… because we know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope.
Remember the last time Christmas came around? Not that we are in it for the gifts… but there is a great expectation around it. Yet however hard we try, we cannot make 16 December get any closer to 25 December – we are forced to be patient. It is because we have that expectation that the wait is often ‘difficult’ to endure.
As people who love Jesus, we also have a great expectation. We have an expectation that God will make his kingdom known on earth as it is in heaven. And no matter how hard we may try, we can’t rush this plan of God. But we look around us and we see people going through difficulties and it makes it hard to endure the wait.
But God is not unaware of these things, and we know that God isn’t just going to leave us in these difficulties. It is because of Jesus that we have a future hope that God is preparing us to do good things on earth as he has planned (Read Ephesians 2:10). We can make something of our expectation and live out God’s calling in our lives! Isn’t that so cool? This may produce difficulties, but these difficulties give us more hope.
God is building His kingdom, is it worth the wait?
Prayer: God, I am sorry that I often want to rush your plans. I know that you are doing good things and also preparing me to do good things. Help me to have the patience to work alongside you, even when this means I have to face difficult times. I know you are present, please keep me strong.
Challenge: Consider the following question (preferably also discuss it with a friend): Sometimes we find it difficult to see where God is when we see bad thing happening all around us. But is this not perhaps an opportunity for us to imitate Jesus and live God’s good plans out in our surroundings?
