The Lutheran Seminary of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States "God Pause Daily Devotion" for Wednesday, 20 May 2015 - Scripture: Romans 8:22-27

The Lutheran Seminary of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United 

States "God Pause Daily Devotion" for Wednesday, 20 May 2015 - Scripture: Romans 8:22 We know that until now, the whole creation has been groaning as with the pains of childbirth; 23 and not only it, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we continue waiting eagerly to be made sons — that is, to have our whole bodies redeemed and set free. 24 It was in this hope that we were saved. But if we see what we hope for, it isn’t hope — after all, who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we continue hoping for something we don’t see, then we still wait eagerly for it, with perseverance.

26 Similarly, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we don’t know how to pray the way we should. But the Spirit himself pleads on our behalf with groanings too deep for words; 27 and the one who searches hearts knows exactly what the Spirit is thinking, because his pleadings for God’s people accord with God’s will.[Complete Jewish Bible]

Hope is a good thing. We hope for the hidden to be revealed. We hope for healing. We hope for peace and we hope and strive for non-violence. We hope for survival and a long life. Our life passage toward what we long for starts with hope and leads to a leap of faith into the darkness. 

When I was a baby in the faith I thought only people like me hoped for salvation and so only people like me would worship the savior. In our crowded, polluted spaces, where materialism and technologies can become false hopes, things can look hopeless even for people of faith who have "the first fruits of the spirit." Along with the Apostle Paul we long for the restoration of creation itself. We hope in the Spirit of God who prays within us "with sighs too deep for words," and God comes to us through the stars and creation and powerful, lovely music of the spheres and, most importantly, in the resurrection that is only possible in faith in a redeeming, loving, creating God who will not leave us or forsake us.

We hope and trust in this God who comes to us as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer that we might not perish but have the freedom of the glory of the children of God in eternity.

God of hope, we thank you for life and love and faith and for living among us to lead the way through death and new life, into and earth and heaven that will not perish. We hope for what we do not yet see and we eagerly await it with perseverance through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Don Rudrud

Master of Divinity , 1965

Romans 8:22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;

23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?

25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.

27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.[New Revised Standard Versiion]

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