Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. [Romans 12.9-13]
I love this little patch of instructions given by Paul.
In particular, verse 12 really speaks to me today: Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
God is so incredibly faithful.
Over the last few days, I have been noticeably more bold in my writing and stance regarding faith. I have made some serious allegations about idolatry and undivided faith operating in the Church as we know it. Unsurprisingly, it seems "all hell" has been loosed against my own physical body. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
It just makes me smile, in the midst of the pain and discomfort I am experiencing, to see that God knew all this in advance and had today's OYCB reading ready to speak directly to me and my circumstances - to encourage and cheer me on. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
And, so, here I am. It is 3:16AM, and I am having my devotional time before going to meet with a discipleship group I lead on Monday mornings at 6AM. I fully expect the Holy Spirit to be present as we meet. The guys are trying - they are learning - they are beginning to "do the work" of disciple makers themselves. Today, we are going to focus on nothing less that prayer lists. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
I am going to encourage them to keep on praying as I myself take courage to keep on praying. There is indeed a battle raging right now, but, in this moment, it is imperative to keep praying! Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
I thank God that His Word continues to develop and feed a confident hope in me. I thank God that His Word also continues to call me to real faith - mountain-moving faith. I thank God that His Word continues to call me to repentance when His power seems distant because genuine faith only exists in the condition of forgiveness (love) so that when I am powerless, I know it's not God Who has withdrawn, but me, into selfishness and unforgiveness. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
Romans 12.9-13 reminds me today that there are no breaks for the believer. We are 24/7/365 on the clock to Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
Father, You have been so faithful today to speak to me in my present circumstances. Forgive me for my tendency to always slip back over to self-serving and self-centeredness and, therefore, unforgiveness of others... Thank You for the reminders - the painful calls to repentance - so that I might be purged of unforgiveness in my own heart - unforgiveness that separates me from You and Your power.
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