“And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning’s too deep for words;” Romans 8:23-26

Life is hard. Committing to hard things is even harder. At times, marriages, family relations, work situations, and financial burdens can seem too heavy to sit under. These pains exist, but there is hope in it all; a hope that is anchored in the future. 

According to Romans 8: 23-25, we “groan” for redemption. Our hope is anchored in the fact that this redemption is going to happen. All the pain, evil, and injustice that this fallen world deals out will be dealt with. So how do we continue to live on this side of what’s to come?

I want to encourage you with the story of the influential British preacher, W.E. Sangster. During the height of his preaching ministry he was diagnosed with a nasty form of muscular dystrophy. One of the first muscles to fail him was that of the vocal cords. Sangster’s preaching ministry was now over. Not only that, but he was progressively dying. When faced with the seriousness of his reality he came up with four resolutions. 

1. “I will never complain”
2. “I will keep my home bright”
3. “I will count my blessings”
4. “I will try to turn it to gain”

 What a great attitude to have. Sangster was not alone in his pain nor was he stuck on dwelling on his impending death. He truly believed that the Spirit was groaning with him as verse 26 teaches. We all long for new bodies, pain to be absent, and true rest for our weary souls. We are not alone. The Holy Spirit lays hold of our weaknesses with us. Sangster’s last book was written with only two fingers and was sent off to the publisher one or two days before he died. Let us persevere as we eagerly wait for what’s to come!