Jul
20
Written by:
Bob Flynn
7/20/2009 6:04 AM
Whether it be the hour of death, or the second coming of Christ, or the resurrection of the dead, and eternal glory; all which are unseen by us, and to be hoped for… (Dr. John Gill)
But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. (KJV)
But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. (NASB)
But if we look forward to something we don't yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) (NLT)
But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with endurance. (NET)
These words paint a wondrous picture of a believer with heart waiting in hope for the day when all truth will be revealed. How will it be made manifest in my life (death, the second coming, the resurrection) it does not matter. What matters is the waiting! Those who hope in Christ are never disappointed for His Grace is sufficient for our every need. But if this be not your experience then whom is it that you follow?
Walking with Christ remains a daily navigational problem. We look to the skies to see the guide star only to discover that there are more than one. How will I know which path to follow? "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105) And if I am unable to seek the right path, then I will undoubtedly drift to the bypaths of which the prophet Jeremiah warned that are fraught with pain and suffering.
If you have this Hope today, then rejoice! If you have not, then confess its absence to Him who loves you still.
...then do we with patience wait for it; as that which is certain and real, as something valuable, which will be satisfying, and be received with the utmost joy. This supposes, that the persons who wait for it believe it, and their interest in it, at least hope they have one; that they have a valuable esteem and affection for it; that they are not in a state of perfection and happiness; and that they sit loose by the things of this world, and are ready to part with the one, and grasp the other: the manner of their waiting is "with patience"; a grace, of which God is the efficient, Christ is the exemplar, and the word the means; and which is of great use under afflictions from the hand of God, under the reproaches and persecutions of men, under desertions and want of answers in prayer, under the temptations of Satan, and in the expectation of the heavenly glory. (Dr. John Gill)
Copyright ©2009 Robert Flynn