“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us.”- Romans 8:18
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”- Isaiah 60:1
Charles and Janet Morris begin Chapter 10 (“The Dawn of an Expected Day”) of Missing Jesus by stating that our suffering is not the end of the story. When we reach our heavenly home, it’s not just the end of our adversity that will heal our hearts. The final healing will come when we see Jesus.
The authors observe that Jesus’ coming again always has been part of the ultimate hope of God’s story:
“There’s always been a forward movement to God’s unfolding story, beginning with the promise in the garden that the seed of the woman would come and crush the head of the serpent. His people have always been waiting in hope for God to break into his world and bring redemption.”
The bottom line is that our personal experiences do not form the foundation of true hope. Rather, true hope is based on God’s objective intervention into his world through Jesus. Our personal disembodied experience cannot give us hope: rather, our hope is based on the guarantee of a new creation that began with Jesus’ resurrection.
Today’s question: How does the objective reality of Jesus’ death and resurrection infuse your desert, transformational journey with hope? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “A conversation with Jesus”
