This started as a comment to Steve's post, but turned into a full-fledged post of its own once I got started...
Steve, I LOVE that you mentioned Romans 8:20, because that verse has been bazinga-ing me all week!
"For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God."
The first bazinga comes in light of a later verse, Romans 8:32, where he says "He did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all" - the Hope from verse 20 comes in that God even subjected Himself to futility that we might be saved. BAZINGA.
And secondly, in light of Hebrews on Thursday, I wandered over to my favorite boat-related verse, which is Hebrews 6:19 - "This hope we have as anchor for the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast." Jesus as the perfect high priest (Hebrews 5) has been subjected to futility, in hope, a hope that does not disappoint (Romans 5:5). And why does it not disappoint? Because "He could swear by no one greater, [so] He swore by Himself" (Hebrews 6:13), first to Abraham in the original covenant, now to us in the new covenant, "in order that [...] we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us" (Hebrews 6:18).
THAT is the hope we have as an anchor for the soul.
And now we're back to the Shameless Father from Tuesday. It is impossible for Him not to glorify His name and we rest in that hope, even when it seems that justice is not met. We see so clearly that left to ourselves, true justice can never be found, but that's why He Himself was subjected to futility right alongside us. Moving right along to Romans 8:24-25...
"For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it."
What hope! BAZINGA.
Thanks Pearl. Always appreciate analogies like "anchor for the soul." I think God's pushing me to stop striving for results and instead seek Jesus with the eyes of my heart. Perhaps, I go to the sick and broken and disenfranchised to simply see my savior and first love because I know His heart burns for them. Maybe living in this sinful muck nature is so that I might drink deeply of Christ's love and forgiveness (back to Romans.) God did say to "us/trinity" in the garden - let's make them in our image. To be made in God's image is to fall in worship when I see in my failure that God WILL NOT FAIL. His light shines in my darkness. His mercy shines in my pain and blindness and that is so, so, so GOOD.
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