Our Groaning in Hope
Silence and stillness before God (2 minutes)
Scripture reading
Scripture reading:
Romans 8:23-25
Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Devotional
Just as creation groans, so do we. Even though we have the Spirit as the first-fruits of God’s promises, we still feel the ache of waiting. Our spirits long for the fullness of adoption, the redemption of our bodies. Salvation is already ours, but its completion is still to come.
This groaning is not a sign of weak faith but of deep hope. It is the ache of longing for home, the yearning for resurrection life, the cry for all things to be made new. The Spirit’s presence within us intensifies the longing, reminding us that what we taste now is only a foretaste of the feast to come.
Hope is at the heart of Christian faith. We are saved into hope, an unseen, future reality that anchors us in the present. True hope requires waiting. We do not yet see the fullness, but we wait patiently, trusting that God will finish what He has begun.
Question to consider
Where in your life do you most feel the groaning of waiting, and how can hope reshape that waiting into patience?
Prayer
Lord, I groan for your renewal and for the redemption of my body. Thank you for saving me into hope. Teach me to wait patiently, trusting your promise.
Conclude with silence (2 minutes)
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DAILY SEVENS
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Daily Sevens are devotionals to help you connect with God throughout the day. Each Office contains five elements: Silence and Stillness, Scripture, a Devotional Reading, a Question to Consider, and Prayer.
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