Devotionals for February 6, 2023
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READ
Romans 8:18-25
18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.
20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope,
21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it.
25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
REFLECT
As you get older, do you find yourself fighting off the weariness of the world? All the noise from news and social media is exhausting, dropping little hints of anxiety, anger, and angst that is energy sapping at least and downright depressing at its worst. Here’s the good news: the world is broken. How can that be good news? Let’s take a look.
When Adam and Eve committed the original sin in Genesis 3, they not only brought a curse to all humankind but also to the physical world. God created everything and pronounced it good, but when sin entered the world it became cursed and broken. God’s judgment on Adam, Eve, and nature was just and righteous as it fits God’s character. But, God’s love for His creation and His mercy is pure and is in line with His character as well. Because of this brokenness, God provided a way to restore us to Him by sending Jesus Christ as a sacrifice, providing the ultimate fulfillment of God’s judgment. Jesus eliminated the penalty of separation from God for those who believe him.
So how is the world’s brokenness good news? It is clear evidence of the hope to come. A miracle of healing for everything through the blood of Christ. We’ll look at how this miracle of healing is manifest in Scripture, in history, today, and in the future kingdom to come.
APPLY
Q: When the brokenness of the world reveals itself to you, how do you react to it?
Q: With the knowledge of how much God loves us, how should you react to it?
Q: What are some ways you can help others find hope for the future?
SING
God So Loved by We the Kingdom
PRAY
Oh Lord, our God, we praise your name and thank you for the hope that you have given us through the sacrifice of Christ and the understanding the Holy Spirit provides. May your name be glorified through my life today.
READ
Romans 8:18-25
18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.
20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope,
21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it.
25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
REFLECT
As you get older, do you find yourself fighting off the weariness of the world? All the noise from news and social media is exhausting, dropping little hints of anxiety, anger, and angst that is energy sapping at least and downright depressing at its worst. Here’s the good news: the world is broken. How can that be good news? Let’s take a look.
When Adam and Eve committed the original sin in Genesis 3, they not only brought a curse to all humankind but also to the physical world. God created everything and pronounced it good, but when sin entered the world it became cursed and broken. God’s judgment on Adam, Eve, and nature was just and righteous as it fits God’s character. But, God’s love for His creation and His mercy is pure and is in line with His character as well. Because of this brokenness, God provided a way to restore us to Him by sending Jesus Christ as a sacrifice, providing the ultimate fulfillment of God’s judgment. Jesus eliminated the penalty of separation from God for those who believe him.
So how is the world’s brokenness good news? It is clear evidence of the hope to come. A miracle of healing for everything through the blood of Christ. We’ll look at how this miracle of healing is manifest in Scripture, in history, today, and in the future kingdom to come.
APPLY
Q: When the brokenness of the world reveals itself to you, how do you react to it?
Q: With the knowledge of how much God loves us, how should you react to it?
Q: What are some ways you can help others find hope for the future?
SING
God So Loved by We the Kingdom
PRAY
Oh Lord, our God, we praise your name and thank you for the hope that you have given us through the sacrifice of Christ and the understanding the Holy Spirit provides. May your name be glorified through my life today.