We wait and wonder and trust God for what we do not understand

By Dean Collins

There are just so many things we don’t understand. But let me speak just for myself: There is just is so much I don’t understand! And maybe what we don’t understand we shouldn’t write about. But when it comes to spiritual things, including our understanding of the trustworthy nature of Scripture, some of our understanding comes down to our faith. We can’t always confirm everything.

An honest scientist, an honest atheist, and an honest Christian share some of the same predicament. Faith is required to draw conclusions. There are, in fact, limitations to historical interpretation, and faith is certainly involved in future speculations. Last I checked it was only Marty McFly and Dr Emmett Brown who traveled back to the future!

One Father

Romans 8 gives shows why we need faith and how we can develop faith; it reveals such richness as it describes our spiritual condition. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Dwell a minute on that truth from Paul. Then this: We are heirs with Christ. This means you and I are simultaneously related to one another but also now related to the Savior of the universe! I like knowing that you and I are in the family, but I really love that Jesus is kin and we have a common Father!

Shared suffering

And while I could spend days writing on the wonders of the first 17 verses of Romans 8, verses 18-25 have me paused. First, because our brother Paul reminds us that the suffering we experience is not a surprise. It was known all along, but we tend to forget it is a part of our heritage. Our elder brother who bore our sin suffered while in a human body on earth, and everyone with a human body since Adam and Eve has also suffered. We are on common ground.

Everyone since Adam and Eve has suffered.
We are all on common ground.

And not just us. All of creation suffers and waits for final redemption. The very earth where we currently reside is eagerly waiting with us and, in the waiting, is suffering. Sin had a devastating impact on all of creation. Reread the first three chapters of Genesis as you contemplate this truth. Every system, every person, all of nature was subjected to the fall and now waits to be restored. And only Jesus who was both at creation, bore our sin, overcame death, and is one day coming back can complete this glorious work of final deliverance from the grip sin still has even on earth itself.

Unexplained reality

I’m not a scientist nor am I an expert in the Greek language or Paul’s writing. And I’m not much at prognostications, but I happened to read an interesting article yesterday about the pulsing of the earth that happens every 26 seconds and has scientists confused. It’s nothing new. Follow the link to read it yourself.

The pulse was first noticed by a scientist named Jack Oliver in 1960. No one knows how long it’s been happening. But every 26 seconds a microseism occurs that some believe originates off the coast of West Africa.

Geologists have studied it and speculated, but no one has a conclusion yet. (Remember what we said earlier about faith.) One research group led by a seismologist named Mike Ritzwoller concluded this in 2005: “We’re still waiting for the fundamental explanation of the cause of this phenomenon,” Ritzwoller said. “I think the point [of all this] is there are very interesting, fundamental phenomena in the earth that are known to exist out there and remain secret.” It may be up to future generations of students, he says, to truly unlock these great enigmas.

I’m sure all of these scientists are smarter than I am. But I’m just wondering (not concluding) if this kind of phenomenon isn’t similar to what Paul said about the earth in Romans 8: “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”

Anticipated redemption

It’s interesting to think about. What we do know from Scripture and by faith is that we are all waiting for the redemption of our bodies when our eternal soul and the shell of our physical bodies unite for eternity and live fully whole, along with a glorious and perfect world that will also be redeemed. And until then we have seasons of suffering. We also live in hope of what we do not yet see, and we must wait patiently. If you are reading this it’s not time yet.

We also know the Holy Spirit helps us in this season of weakness. And, even better, the Holy Spirit takes our very groans and translates them into prayers before our Heavenly Father so that while we wait we can be comforted and encouraged that God knows our situation, cares about our situation, and will eventually redeem and fix our situation.

I don’t fully understand all of these spiritual wonders taking place even now as the earth pulses. But I am confident in the promises of God revealed in Scripture. If we believe in the resurrection of Jesus, then that same confidence applies here and now. Some days we are weary in our suffering and we cling to our hope. But one day soon we will experience the miracle of eternity. And then the unknown will be fully known when we look into the eyes of Jesus!

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:18-27‬ ‭ESV

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Photo by berenice martinez and by Amelie & Niklas Ohlrogge on Unsplash