Hope : The glory of God
Romans 5:1-5, Luke 2:8-20, John 1:14
‘It is always darkest before the day dawn’
Thomas Fuller
Walking the Road
Have you ever had a time in your life where you have found yourself in the middle of an adventure? A time when you have started out on a simple journey and it’s turned into something more like a Greek epic? Like when I got lost on my way home from North Yorkshire in a 16 year old Renault 5 or when Naomi and I found ourselves in the middle of a thunder-cloud on the top of a mountain or the time we spent Christmas Eve on an aeroplane.
The church in Rome definitely knew what that felt like, as did Paul. They had started to journey with Jesus and found that it wasn’t all plain sailing. It is through Paul’s stories of enduring persecution that he encourages them to hope. In Romans 5, Paul mentions hope twice, one a future hope and the other a present.
The Hope of Glory
As a child I remember the excitement of Christmas day. In the weeks running up to the big day the tree would go up and decorations would appear. Then presents would slowly begin to appear under the tree and the anticipation of what they might be was overwhelming. I couldn’t wait to open them and see.
In the same way the church in Rome could see the gifts that had been given them. Faith, peace, grace, joy, and the hope of sharing in God’s glory. This was the future hope that Paul wanted them to focus on. That there would come a time when they would be with the Alpha and Omega and with all creation stand in the glory of God.
We share that hope too.
The Glory of Hope
Back to your adventures stories. These great stories stick with us because all the best stories have struggles in them. We remember them because out of the challenge and turmoil comes transformation and joy. These stories remind us that we can achieve the impossible, that we can conquer obstacles and come out stronger.
Paul knew this too. He tells the church to rejoice when they suffer because it produces endurance and in turn that brings character which gives us hope that does not disappoint. Why? because God is already pouring his glory upon us. He showers us in love, compassion, mercy and grace. He journeys with us by his Spirit so that when we suffer he is there. When we face blessing or trial, he is there. Our experience of God with us, Immanuel, allows us to know his glory now.
Questions
- Have you ever had a time in your life where you have found yourself on an adventure? Why? What happened? What were the highs and lows of that time?
- Have you ever hoped in something that has been much better/worse in reality?
- Do you feel, even in the difficult times, that God is with you?
- How do you think we experience the glory of God in the everyday?
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