Coming glory (Day 6 of the #encourage marathon)

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

~ ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

It’s Day 6 of our 26-day #Encourage Marathon! (You can read yesterday’s post here.)

Here are the previous 5 days we’ve covered so far:

Not Destroyed – Day 1

Do not lose heart – Day 2

More than Conquerors – Day 3

Joy will come – Day 4

Renewed Strength – Day 5

Someone out there is on their knees, worn out with suffering. It might even be you.

Grief.

Loss.

Betrayal.

Rejection.

Humiliation.

Abuse.

Persecution.

Death.

Sickness.

Starvation.

Tyranny.

War.

Have you experienced any of the above? Welcome to the world of harsh reality. Sometimes it feels as though we were born to experience trouble (hence the pursuit of excessive pleasure). The race is long. That finish line is barely a dot on the horizon (if we can see it at all!).

If you ask a mother about childbirth, they will tell you that it felt as though the excruciating pain of labor would never end. And yet, when they look back, the exhaustive labor seems like a little thing compared with the great joy of nestling their precious newborn. Joy, awe, and delight outshine the pain, making it a mere memory.

Like a woman in labor, so is our labor of life. As Paul says in our verse today, this suffering does not compare with what waits for us. When we finally see Jesus—the one whom we love and who has loved us from the beginning—all this will be overshadowed by the light of His presence.

I often think of it in the way Gandalf described it to Pippin in The Lord of the Rings:

PIPPIN: I didn’t think it would end this way.

GANDALF: End? No, the journey doesn’t end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it.

PIPPIN: What? Gandalf? See what?

GANDALF: White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.

PIPPIN: Well, that isn’t so bad.

GANDALF: No, no it isn’t.

I think of Jesus in all his glory like that swift sunrise, and heaven that far green country, teeming with beauty. I am looking forward to seeing it. If I can just remember that, it’ll make all of this more bearable.

Something better and far more glorious is waiting for us, we just have to keep running.

---

I hope you’ll continue to join me on Facebook, Twitter and here at Elihu’s Corner for this marathon. Share this verse on your Twitter feed or Facebook page (#encourage). Take time today to copy down this verse for yourself. Send an email or text to someone you know who would benefit from this encouragement.

[If you click on the link in the above passage, it will take you to BibleGateway.com. From here, you can click a share link which allows you to share directly to Twitter, Facebook or send an email.]

If you missed the original post listing all 26 passages, click here to download the PDF list.