Waiting for Jesus is a Labor of Hope and Love

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I remember the last weeks of my pregnancies like it was yesterday. Each time our days were filled with hope and love.

With our firstborn, we moved, remodeled, and redecorated our first house during the last two months. And with our second, well, I never got used to the astonished look on people’s faces as they asked, “When is your baby due?”

But then, each time, the reality of childbirth hit with a mixture of pain, excitement, and even more hope and love.

And the moment our newborns were placed on my chest, nothing else mattered.

Paul compared life and the wait for Jesus to childbirth…

We know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children, including the new bodies He has promised us.

Romans 8:22–23

And that’s “labor of hope and love,” wait for Jesus.

Some days are uncomfortable, with stretched skin and muscles, and on other days, our blessings outweigh our discomfort. There are moments when the pain seems unbearable, and it’s hope and love that keep us going. But in the end, the joyous outcome is all that matters.

The day is coming when sin and suffering will end for everyone adopted into the family of faith. Physical pain will be gone. Mental anguish will be replaced with peace and joy.

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

Revelation 21:3–4

That’s the future glory we long for and anticipate.

Paul added…

What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 

Romans 8:18–21

Are you suffering? Are you growing impatient? Stretched thin?

Don’t give up! Hold on to Jesus with hope and love. Focus on God’s promises and the glory that will be revealed at His appointed time.

Remember, when that moment arrives … nothing else will matter!

Let’s pray..

A Prayer to Hold Onto Hope and Love
While Waiting for Jesus

Father, thank you for blessing us with Your hope-giving promises. We know through Jesus’ life on earth that You are the God who keeps every promise. You promised to send a Messiah, and You sent Jesus to suffer the punishment we deserve.

Jesus promised that He would come again. He promised that He was going to heaven to prepare a place for us and that He will return when everything is ready. (John 14:3) You affirmed His promise through prophecy written by Daniel and John.

Because You have faithfully given and kept Your many past promises, I trust You will keep Your promises about about the future. So, I will continue to watch and wait for Jesus.

I humbly come to You, admitting that waiting is not always easy. Some days are uncomfortable, and others are downright painful. The closer we get to our Savior’s return, the more intense it seems.

I remember waiting for my babies to arrive. I was filled with hope and love for the little one who would join our family, but I was anxious about the work of labor and delivery.

It’s interesting that the Spirit inspired Paul to compare our time of waiting to the anxious anticipation and work of giving birth. By the power of the Spirit, please help me stay focused on the truth of Your wonderful promises.

Help me hold on to You through Your Word, prayer, and the encouragement of Your people. Fill me with the hope and love I need. Give me joy to share Your love faithfully. And make me mindful that when that glorious day arrives, and I see You face to face, nothing else will matter.

I love you, Lord God, and I thank and praise You in the precious name of my returning Savior, Jesus. Amen.

On the hard days, don’t give up. Keep pushing through with hope and love.

Remember…

This hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.

Romans 5:4–5

John C. Broger wrote…

“The hope that God has provided for you is not merely a wish. Neither is it dependent on other people, possessions, or circumstances for its validity. Instead, Biblical hope is an application of your faith that supplies a confident expectation in God’s fulfillment of His promises. Coupled with faith and love, hope is part of the abiding characteristics in a believer’s life.”

So, let’s hold Jesus’ promises in our hearts…

I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need.

Luke 12:31

 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again.

John 14:27–28a

May you be filled with hope and love as you wait for Jesus’ glorious return. On that day … nothing else will matter!

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