Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Every summer, for as long as I remember, I've
looked forward to the black-eyed Susan's blooms. I love how they dot the fields
and ditches as if they are attending a ball and dressed in their finest array.
Yet they show a humbleness by bowing their heads in a friendly wave. Their
golden yellow color reminds me of the summers of my youth when we'd play in the
fields, take walks or ride our bikes down the one-lane road, and these lovely
flowers would dance and sway.
They also appear around my birthday. As a child I
thought God planted them just for me, in time to celebrate the day I was born.
(Can you keep a secret? I still feel a little bit that way.) For whatever
reason He created such a delightful yet simple flower, I'll be forever
grateful. When this perennial beauty returns, I am reminded of the
eternal hope I have in Jesus.
The verse in Romans encourages me to remain joyful
because I have hope. Hope of eternal life, hope of salvation, and hope for a
life filled with joy. But in this world I will have pain and sorrow. The
writer of Romans calls it affliction. I think of that word as a medical malady,
but I believe he refers to the difficulties of life. It's hard to be
patient when Satan attacks, when I feel hurt and stepped on, and when life
just stinks. Yet I am called to be patient, to wait on the Lord. He asks me
to be faithful in prayer. Jesus wants me to call on him in my affliction. His
desire is for me to talk to him and seek his help.
I'm thankful I have hope that gives joy. I'm
grateful for patience (I kind of cringe when I say that, but I know patience is
a blessing.) I'm more than appreciative that I can talk to God about life. He
listens to me and takes what I say to heart.
When you see the black-eyed Susan's nodding their
heads, remember there's hope in Jesus.
