Bible Reading: Romans 8:18-25
Even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. Romans 8:23
“JUST A FEW more hours, Sara.”
For months the Mexico mission team from the youth group had been working to prepare for this day. In just a few more hours — at least that’s what the youth pastor kept telling Sara — the bus would arrive in Tecate in Baja California, across the border from California. There the team would spend two weeks repairing a church building and sharing the love of Christ with as many people as possible. Sara couldn’t wait. “How much longer?” she asked her youth pastor again.
Sara couldn’t believe she was so close to her destination. Not only was she glad for the privilege of serving Christ, but she got to work with thirty of her closest friends. That’s why she applied to be part of the mission team over six months ago and agreed to grueling fund-raising activities like car washes and rent-a-youth workdays, time-consuming homework assignments (from church of all places), and weekly training meetings and prayer sessions. That’s why she spent at least half an hour each night trying to learn Spanish on a computer software program. And that’s why she endured a twenty-hour ride on a school bus. She knew something valuable was waiting for her. She knew it was worth the work and the wait.
As soon as the bus crossed the border, all her hard study, all the time spent learning how to share Christ in Spanish, all the prayer, all the fund-raising work, and all the Bible study would payoff. God was going to use her, and her life would make a difference … in just a few more hours.
For each of us, the end of our whole life’s journey — the spectacular day Christ returns and takes us to heaven to be with him for eternity — will arrive, poetically speaking, in just a “few more hours.” But until it does, there’s a pile of work here on earth.
Your bus ride on this planet and all you do to get ready for glory may seem long and difficult at times: there are people to love; unbelievers with whom you need to share the Good News; and Satan, whom you can’t allow to keep you from succeeding. No one ever said the Spirit-led life would be trouble-free. Remaining faithful in the face of the temptation to flow with the crowd can be tough.
But the journey will end. Can you tough it out? One great comfort is the Holy Spirit’s presence to sustain you and comfort you.
REFLECT: God helps you endure by sending his own Spirit to be your constant companion. Do you serve a great God or what?
PRAY: Talk to God today about things that are tough to wait for–and thank him for his loving care.
