Birth pains.

Welcome knights. It has been an incredible week or two with several incidents happening around the country from earthquakes to hurricanes, flooding and loss of life. It seems as though nature itself is rebelling. Could this be God’s judgment? Could it be a way to test our faith? Even though the answer to both of these questions could very easily be “yes”, I think there is a little more to it. Paul gives us a little insight into the distress of the earth in Romans.

Romans 8:18-24 “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.)

Did you notice that knights? All creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Creation fell with us when Adam and Eve sinned and has been caught in the same curse of death as we have. It too wants to be free. How much more so should we. This is why we fight knights. “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later” and “ for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering…we 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” Take heart knights because the day draws near. Every day is one day closer to our King’s coming to gather us home. Fight against the agents of the enemy. Run from every temptation. Crucify the flesh daily. Love your brothers and sisters completely. Our King is coming knights. We need to make sure we are about his work when he returns.

“Father, thank you for the hope you have given us. We do groan for your return and completion of the good work which you have started in us. Help us to see with spiritual eyes the things that are going on around us so we can see that all of creation is crying out for your return. Grant us the courage and love to bring as many as we can to you before you come. Thank you great King. Amen”

Look to the heavens knights, for our redemption draws near.