Thought of the Day !!

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

                              Romans 8:18 (NLT)

It’s like Paul has a set of scales and on one side is our suffering.  This suffering is weighing down the scale.  It seems as though the weight of it will break the scales.  All the heartbreak we’ve had in our lives, all the pain caused by others, all the physical maladies we’ve lived with, the loved ones lost, the dreams dashed, not to mention the suffering we’ve come across for the sake of Christ (being ostracized for doing right, losing close friendships because we’ve become different people, and so on).

Then he puts the glory that will be revealed to us, His children, on the other side and it falls to the bottom as if nothing were on the other side.  Nothing compares to the greatness of knowing Jesus and all his glory.  Absolutely nothing. 

There is much that God does for us now, but Paul is looking to the future glory that He has in store for us here.  I can only imagine what it will be like to step into the glory of Heaven one day.

Think about it for a moment.  In the first few moments of being in Heaven what do you think you’ll see?  Well, first off there’s Jesus.  That’s a pretty good beginning.  But beyond that I imagine much brighter colors than I’ve ever seen.  I can see them with more clarity that my earthly eyes have never been able to use.  There might even be colors that we’ve not even seen in this lifetime.  I believe for the first time I will see what it feels like to have absolutely no pain, no depression weighing me down, no resentment or feelings of jealousy, no feelings of loss.  There will only be joy, pure complete joy.

Imagine that for just a moment.  Imagine that it’s not for a time, a season or even a lifetime.  Imagine it’s for eternity.  Now do you more completely understand what Paul means when he says, “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later”? 

We can read over this, even glance over it as another of the many great verses in the Bible.  But let it sink in this day.  I can only imagine.

In the love of Christ,

greg