Don't Lose Heart - Steven Curtis ChapmanSample

DAY 4

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. —Romans 8:18

As we all know, suffering and trouble is a real thing…it’s true that in this world, we will have trouble. And it can be a great temptation to lose heart if we get fooled into thinking that this moment defines all of life. If we become so focused on only what we see or feel in those difficult moments, it can cause us to forget the big picture. God is always doing something bigger than what we perceive at this moment. Like Paul wrote in Romans, the suffering that may be happening in our lives right now, as real as it may be, is no comparison to the glory and the goodness that we will see and experience in the day that’s coming…when God wipes every tear from our eyes, and finishes making all things new.

When we’re suffering, we are prone to focus on that suffering. We lie awake at night or carry a heavy heart through the day because of our circumstances. Suffering causes us to close in on ourselves and be alone with our grief—and our grief and frustration can sometimes fill every available space in our hearts. In Romans 8:18, though, Paul reminds us to leave room for God. When we allow God to enter our grief, we realize these sufferings, though deeply painful, are not ultimately the end of the story.

Granted, Paul was never right where you are or where I am. He didn’t face our exact situation. At the same time, he understood deep suffering and wrote these words from that place. And he had discovered something that we desperately need to remember: this isn’t the end of the story…God is good, and God is faithful…and He has promised never to leave us or forsake us and, ultimately, to wipe every tear, once and for all, from our eyes, allowing us to finally and clearly see just how good He is and just how loved we are!

• Are you experiencing suffering currently? How is that suffering diminished when you think about God’s faithfulness in the past and His plans for your future in Christ?
• What situation in your life do you need to invite God into right now?
• Read Revelation 21 and thank God for the future that waits for us.