More than anything else in this life, suffering reminds us that this world is not the way it should be. When we walk through the valley of the shadow, our hearts groan and our spirits cry out under the weight of oppression. In these moments of groaning, trials teach us to look forward to the glorious return of Christ when he will make all things right in the world. The hymn writer speaks of this hope in the fourth stanza of “The Solid Rock.”

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

As people who are redeemed, we look forward to the day when Christ will return in power and in glory. Knowing that he is coming fills us with hope and endurance as we persevere in this life. Some of us become intimately acquainted with earthly suffering. Yet we can stand fast as we looked forward to the hope of future glory. Scripture speaks of this hope in Romans 8:18-25.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

We Groan

In this present time, we will experience suffering. Trials will sometimes pour upon us through clouds that never seem to run dry. But this present suffering, the hurt we experience in this moment, is teaching us to desire something even better. As those who have been redeemed by Christ, future glory awaits us. And when that glory is revealed, we will come to see that our current sufferings are light and momentary in comparison to its eternal weight (2 Corinthians (2 Corinthians 4:17). When we see this glory with our eyes, the suffering of this world will dim in its light.

We are not alone in our suffering. As we groan under the weight of trials and oppression, we join with all of creation in awaiting the day of redemption that is to come. This vast world and all that it contains is bound under the curse of sin, crying out under the burden of its weight (Genesis 3:17-19). Because Adam sinned, all of us have now become partakers in that sin. This creation is bound by corruption as the taint of sin has polluted everything. The earth cries out as in the anguish of childbirth as it waits to be remade.

In times of suffering, our hearts groan along with creation under the burden of sin. Our spirits cry out as pain tells us that this world is not as it should be. It is appropriate to groan. It is appropriate to cry out under the crushing weight of suffering that burdens us. As our spirits cry out in agony, we are taught to look forward to the day when this earth will be redeemed and all sad things will come untrue.

I am walking through a season of groaning. I thought that I had experienced suffering before, but the burden of trials that has been placed upon me in the past four months is unlike anything I have ever known. My spirit groans under the weight of it, and my heart experiences the affliction of agony. I mourn my brother’s death, the loss of my husband’s job, recovery from a major surgery, and the great chasm of the unknown in our future. Each morning I wake to the crushing reality of loss and the sting of pain. My spirit groans. I join with creation as I loudly cry out that this world is not as it should be, that it is broken and full of pain. But in my groaning, I must not neglect hope.

We Hope

My heart can be filled with hope because I know that one day, some day over the horizon, my body will be made new. Christ will return. And so the groaning of today teaches me to look forward to the glorious return of tomorrow. As I cry out in agony under the crushing weight of sin, I am taught to lift my eyes from this world and fix them firmly upon the hope of future glory yet to come. All of creation eagerly anticipates the day when Christ will be revealed and this earth will be set free from its bondage. Walking through the agony of my affliction also teaches me to long for that day.

I have been saved to a hope that is unseen, that is being prepared in heaven for me, that is eternal and imperishable. I have been saved to the hope of future glory. So my groaning, suffering, and agony teaches me to place my hope firmly in what is unseen rather than in what is seen. My suffering teaches me that I am to hold to the things of this earth loosely and instead seek the kingdom of God. My suffering teaches me that the best is yet to come.

A day is coming when I will join all of creation in being loosed from the shackles of sin forever. A day is coming when all bondage will give way to freedom, all corruption be made undone, all pain be reversed, and all things made new. This is a hope that is sure, steadfast, and certain. As my soul groans loudly, I am led to fix my hope firmly the this promise of future glory.

C. S. Lewis speaks of this future hope in his book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The people of Narnia have been bound by winter, living under the curse of the White Witch. But they hold onto the hope that Aslan will one day return to Narnia and make things right again. Mr. Beaver says of Aslan, “He’ll put all to rights as it says in an old rhyme in these parts:
Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets it death,
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.”

Jesus is coming. And one day, when the time is just right, the skies will split and Jesus will shake the earth. On that day, all eyes will see him in power and in glory. On that day, all sadness will come untrue and all hurts will be healed. So even in your groaning, hold on to hope, friend. The story isn’t over.