Hope After Labor

Romans 8: 18-25 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."

                                                                     

After 38 weeks of pregnancy my daughter-in-law went into labor this week and after forty long hard hours delivered a beautiful baby girl.  As I prayed through her labor, I was reminded of my labors many years ago:   months of pregnancy with the culmination in hard, painful labor such as no one could have prepared me.  Then the birth of  a beautiful little one made ever so perfectly in the image of God and  the pain quickly forgotten.

While my blood counts headed the wrong direction this week, my pain and fatigue became aggravating and the news was full of horrors throughout the world, I thought on Bethany's labor and what the Bible says about it in relation to the suffering in the world.  Jesus, talking to His disciples, before His betrayal and death was answering their question about His leaving them.  He likened their sorrow and the troubles to come to that of a woman in labor while He was gone from them.  But in the end when He returns again, as a woman delivered, the sorrow would be gone and replaced with joy.    He said in John 16: 20-22, "Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.  As a woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come;  but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.  Therefore you now have sorrow;  but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you."

Jesus then reminds His disciples that in that day they won't have to ask about His return and reminds them/us  to pray.  We are reminded to ask fully and confidently, and we shall receive fully and abundantly when we ask to God's glory and for Christ's interest in the  world.  We are reminded as J C Ryle says, that "the joy of a believer depends much on his fervency and earnestness in prayer.  He that prays little and coldy must not expect to know much of 'joy and peace in believing.'"  John Gerhard says about these verses, "The benefit of prayer is so great that it cannot be expressed!  Prayer is the dove which, when sent out, returns again, bringing with it the olive-leaf, namely peace of heart.  Prayer is the golden chain which God holds fast and lets not go until He blesses.  Prayer is the Moses' rod, which brings forth the water of consolation out of the rock of salvation.  Prayer is Samson's jaw-bone, which smites down our enemies.  Prayer is David's harp, before which the evil spirit flies.  Prayer is the key to Heaven's treasures."

We are promised that we will have suffering, trial and sorrow on this earth.  The path will be tough.  Our faith, as the disciples faith, may be weak, but like them we must be encouraged to let our labors drive us closer to Christ and to look to Him more in prayer, for He loves to hear and answer.  In the meantime we look towards the end of our labor as we look towards Christ's return to this earth or our return to Him, a day when all sorrow shall cease.  What a day that will be!  As Revelation 7 says, "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,  and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”  And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,  saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?”  I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

 “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple;  and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;

 the sun shall not strike them,  nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,  and he will guide them to springs of living water,  and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”