Romans 8:18-25

Romans 8:18-25 
English Standard Version (ESV)


  When I'm sick, the world gets very small -- I forget what it's like to be healthy, and I can quickly lose hope that I'll ever feel better again.  When I'm sick, all I think about is being sick, and every ache and pain is magnified.
  We do the same with all the suffering and hurt in this world -- we forget that there is a glory waiting to be revealed to us, and that glory is far beyond what we can even imagine in our wildest dreams. We forget that God has made promises (and God keeps all his promises!) that there is a Kingdom of nothing but light waiting for us, and the hope of that Kingdom should allow us to endure our present sufferings.
  Hope is a beautiful thing, and Paul is reminding us of our hope in Christ.  Lift up your heads in the midst of suffering, and know that God is with you, and what God has in store for you is far greater than anything you can even imagine.