For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. (Romans 8:19)
Another Bible translation I’ve seen (I can’t remember which) uses the phrase “great anxiety” rather than “eager expectation.” Anxiety is not something usually associated with expectation in a positive sense. I have my own personal experience with that – a psychologist diagnosed me with post traumatic stress back in 2003. At one point, I couldn’t leave the house. And when I did, I became one of “those” people whom you see sitting on benches talking to themselves. A fractured mind is a terrified mind but the pathway of healing from God, which takes time, builds resilience.
This waiting by creation mentioned in Romans has required resilience too. A sense of patience over the years, decades, even centuries. “WHEN is Jesus returning?” It can feel so frustrating but God the Son warned us that only God the Father knows. We just need to tap into that Holy Spirit-led resilience and be prepared, whether he comes back today or tomorrow. “Even when my faith is small, trusting Jesus, that is all,” as the hymn goes (I know I often quote that old song and make no apologies!).
What we do know is that a thousand years are like a day to the Lord. And when He does return, the picture Jesus used is like a thief coming in the night. We have to be ready. People carry on with their lives, marrying and not marrying, buying and selling, getting through the days of existence. Yet our hearts must be surrendered to the gospel and dedicated to its calling; to boldly proclaim the life-saving news of Jesus Christ to anyone we meet within our circles of influence. And meanwhile, yes we do wait “in eager expectation!” for the children of God to be revealed at His return. That’s a truth which has some extroverted evangelicals shout “Hallelujah!” at the front of churches – and understandably so, because the gospel is the truth. I tend to linger quietly at the back with the other outcasts. No confidence in myself but fully confident in Him!
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