I have received resurrection life. This inspiring energy comes from a God who is greater than my troubles, my worries and my sorrows. It is not a depressing, fearful life looking at all the dead or diseased and dying things in my life. No!
God fills me with life. He fills me with life-giving hope that brightens my soul! He fills me with life-filling joy that spills over into my face and my dealing with other people.
He fills me with an adventurously expectant life! He fills me with a life where God hold my hand. And I can live this life knowing who God is. Even more comforting, I know who I really am.
God’s Spirit touches my spirit. He reminds me of his love. God is my loving gentle protecting Father and I am his child.
Every day is a new beginning. It is not just a turmoil-filled existence. I am his and he delights in me. I am loved. I can say this because he holds tight to my hand and he never lets me go.
“What’s next, Papa?”
Romans 8:15-21 This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?”
God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance!
We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!
That’s why I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back.
God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.
For Janet
