"Yes, You Do Have a Future"
Isaiah 40:26-31 Romans 8:18-28
(Isaiah 40:26-31 NRSV) " Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created
these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by
name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing.
{27} Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from
the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"? {28} Have you not known?
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends
of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is
unsearchable. {29} He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the
powerless. {30} Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall
exhausted; {31} but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint."
(Romans 8:18-28 NRSV) " I consider that the sufferings of this present time
are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. {19} For
the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of
God; {20} for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will
but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope {21} that the creation
itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the
freedom of the glory of the children of God. {22} We know that the whole
creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; {23} and not only the
creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan
inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. {24} For
in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for
what is seen? {25} But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it
with patience. {26} Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do
not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs
too deep for words. {27} And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the
mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according
to the will of God. {28} We know that all things work together for good for
those who love God, who are called according to his purpose."
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When I worked in the corporate world,
my compensation was based entirely upon my quarterly numbers.
And beyond that,
there was little pay-off for looking beyond those 3 months.
Upper management, the board of directors and the stockholders
were all focused on quarterly profitability reports,
with very little patience to wait for longer term growth.
It was today’s stock price that mattered,
and what happened far in the future really wasn’t much of a concern.
The corp. officers had an impatient emphasis on immediate returns
which is really pretty much the way of our modern world.
Once upon a time long ago,
you had to turn on the TV set well before your show started
so there would be time enough for the tubes to warm up.
I see people today pacing impatiently, even a little upset
that the microwave popcorn is taking so long.
Or do you ever tap your fingers impatiently
waiting for your computer,
and frustrated over all those wasted milliseconds?
Culturally we’ve come to expect and demand instantaneous results,
for things to finish quickly - complete in the immediate,
and a rushing impatience characterizes our mode of living.
That pernicious impatience seems to pervade our whole lives
placing our focus on the now, the urgent and immediate;
and so we are unwilling and unaccustomed to waiting
for things to fully develop or to consider the longer view.
The problem with that impatient emphasis on the immediate present
is that such a perspective is far too small and limited,
leaving too little room for life to change and get better-
it fails to recognize that God is still very much at work
and that the process of creation continues in our lives & in the
world
its really a matter of perspective
If you close one eye, hold out your thumb and move it back,
see how your thumb can cover up much larger objects than itself.
That is the power of perspective ----
that because your thumb is so much closer and immediate,
it appears bigger than larger things in the far distance.
its really a matter of perspective
We tend to focus on the here and now, our immediate concerns,
letting them overwhelm and dominate,
as they block out larger and longer term considerations.
As a child in school, did you ever get all worked up
over one particular test or report in one particular class?
And yet in the overall flow of your life,
has it really turned out to be all that important?
Do you even remember what your grade was on it?
Or as a teenager, did you ever try to impress someone or a clique?
and yet today, you probably can’t even remember their names.
Up close many things seem devastatingly crucial and momentous,
yet at a distance, taken in the total context of your life,
they fade insignificantly into the fabric of your background
Its in that same sense of perspective that Paul writes:
Romans 8:18
"I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth
comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us."
The Apostle Paul understands some things about perspective.
So he applies this concept of long-term, eternal perspective
to his theological interpretation of pain and suffering,
of trials, tribulations, tragedies and troubles.
Now Paul knew a lot first hand about suffering and hard times.
He endured frequent beatings, he was whipped repeatedly,
stoned and left for dead, wrote most letters from prison,
many times betrayed by friends, shipwrecked at least twice,
he had poor vision and suffered chronic health problems.
Paul writes about praying to God for relief in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9:
"Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but
he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for (my) power is made
perfect in (your) weakness." "
Therefore Paul can write Romans 8:18:
"I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth
comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us."
Paul recognizes that its all just momentary and minor
and that it doesn’t compare to the glory that awaits
that is so much larger than anything that can be seen in the present.
Paul explains this further, 2 Corinthians 4:16-17:
"So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our
inner nature is being renewed day by day.
For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight
of glory beyond all measure,"
’preparing us for an eternal weight of glory’
Paul thinks that our struggles might even do us some good.
Have you heard of the ’Outward Bound Program’?
Ordinary people pay to go out into the remote wilderness
and be put through grueling experiences & hardships.
The idea is to strip off this life’s mundane superficialities
while working with others beyond their own abilities,
so that through adversity, to learn to think and see
beyond their present situation & circumstances
to see from a new perspective
Paul’s perspective is to see this mortal life,
as the way that God prepares us the coming eternal life.
Therefore, the adversity and suffering that we faithfully endure
and our experience of God’s faithfulness amid tribulation
is the way that our faith grows and matures into trust.
And as our relationship with God is improved & deepened over time,
and by our own experience of God’s love & sustaining presence,
we will come to recognize and realize
that God has been work in our lives all along
preparing us to live eternally in the kingdom of God.
God’s promise is not that we won’t struggle or suffer.
God never promised that we won’t have hard times & difficult days,
and God never promised or even suggested
that we would sail through life without hurt & trouble
What God did promise is that he will never leave us or forsake us,
that we won’t ever be alone, rejected or abandoned,
and that God is always present with us to comfort, sustain &
strengthen us.
Paul asserts much more than to say just that God is always with us.
Paul is making an even more outrageous claim,
that somehow God will transform and redeem and recreate
even the worst of our disasters to accomplish some good.
that even the worst and most painful that we must endure,
God can use for our benefit, for our good and growth.
Paul asserts in Romans 8:28:
"We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who
are called according to his purpose."
The question is a matter of perspective - how we choose to respond.
For some,
suffering & struggle makes them strong & compassionate,
as they are drawn in closer and walking with God.
while others become calloused, embittered & defeated,
and they cannot see past the difficulties of the day
But the truth is affliction is probably much better than happiness
for developing strength, perseverance and character.
So, is our focus going to be on just our own present concerns,
or do we look to God in faith and hope,
trusting that God has something in mind beyond our immediate
struggles;
a far larger and more glorious purpose, to which,
what sufferings we endure, cannot be compared?
As we read: James 1:2-4
"My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it
nothing but joy,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and
let endurance have its full effect,
so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing."
Now that doesn’t mean that we won’t truly hurt, bleed and groan,
or that our losses aren’t real, painful and agonizing,
but the promise is that God won’t waste what we endure.
God won’t waste what we endure,
for God will accomplish over time some good - some purpose.
God has promised,
that loss, that tragedy, that pain, that disaster and trouble
that our wounds will not be left to just fester and rot,
but that God offers to bring healing and hope ---
through which God will create
something good and worthy and magnificent.
. which is the same assurance we read about in Isaiah.
This portion of Isaiah is thought to be from the Babylonian exile.
A terrible time of the nation defeated, destroyed in war.
The holy city Jerusalem & Solomon’s Temple were in ruins.
The nobles, the educated, the skilled artisans,
the leaders and promising young people,
all dragged off in chains to serve the Babylonians.
The priests & religious leaders had long assured the people
that God would never let his chosen people be defeated,
and would surely protect the Temple, his dwelling place.
So beyond even the physical-emotional upheaval of distant exile,
their faith was stunned, shocked and disappointed.
In their suffering, brokenness and despondency they wondered,
’has God no power to protect us and save us from this?
’or has God forgotten, forsaken and abandoned us in this?
In their fear and hopelessness, they were doubting their God.
Into that context of hopelessness, agony, confusion and defeat
the prophet tells them to go out and look up at the stars.
Isaiah 40:26-28
"Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out
their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great
in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing. .
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his
understanding is unsearchable."
The prophet reminds them,
that the God who created and named all of this vast universe,
also has the power to restore, redeem and make right,
even from the most hopeless and impossible situation.
And, though we may appear as inconsequential mere creatures,
yet God tells us that we are beloved, precious in his sight
that God will not forsake or ever abandon us .
and in fact,
our lives are a part of God’s ongoing creative process.
Therefore the prophet makes a seemingly outrageous claim,
an unbelievable assurance to those struggling & in great pain.
Isaiah 40:29-31
"He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."
If you think about it, this seems ridiculously impossible ---
poetic words with no connection to the real world & suffering
-- and yet by personal experience in their own lives,
these words of promise & hope have proven to be true
in countless lives over the many centuries.
Their lives restored, attests to God faithfulness & truth,
and these verses describe God’s ongoing creative process,
and how God reclaims & restores lives that are broken.
Sometimes when in the dark places of life, the best we can do,
the best we can manage, is to just, ’walk and not faint’,
which may seem like not much, unless you have been there.
When even to get out of bed or to answer the phone is a struggle,
when its hard to just to put one foot in front of the other,
it happens only by the strengthening support & presence of God
And then, with more time, eventually, by the grace and power of God,
those who walk in the valley of the shadow of darkness,
may find that one day, that they can jog,
and then by God’s love, even, ’run and not be weary’.
And as God’s comfort and hope continue to bring healing & renewal,
and as God’s ongoing creative process continues to restore,
until that day, you ’mount up with wings and soar like an eagle’.
The promise is that though today we may not be able soar,
not now, not yet; but someday, maybe even soon, someday,
surely someday we shall indeed soar with laughter & joy;
as over time, even the most broken & devastated life will soar,
and can once again be filled with hope, promise & purpose.
Paul and Isaiah both have that long-term cosmic view of life;
they are not focused on their thumbs, their immediate troubles.
For both Paul and Isaiah, their hopes and their expectations
are not limited to just their present circumstances.
Indeed, they are looking beyond, trusting in God
for there is far more possibility than just what meets the eye.
God’s redemptive purpose is at work in our lives and in our world.
Therefore, we are not defined by our failings or flaws,
nor by any past or present situation or circumstance,
BUT rather, we are defined by the love and good purpose of God;
by God’s promises, by God’s presence in our lives ---
for in the Lord our God, we are truly destined to soar;
Romans 8:25,28
"But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who
are called according to his purpose."
So our call is to lift up our eyes according to Isaiah,
to believe, to see above and beyond our present circumstances,
and look for God’s gracious hand at work in our lives.
O yes indeed, in God we surely do have future,
a glorious future that is already in process,
progressing far beyond and above the reality we see,
far beyond even the best we can imagine ----
- for if we, as finite creatures,
could already see or envision all that is to be,
then it really wouldn’t be much of a hope at all.
1 Peter 5:10-11
"And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who
has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore,
support, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the power forever and
ever. Amen."
