However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9
“How blessed and wonderful, beloved, are the gifts of God! Life in immortality, splendour in righteousness, truth in perfect confidence, faith in assurance, self-control in holiness! And all these fall under the cognizance of our understandings [now]; what then shall those things be which are prepared for such as wait for Him? The Creator and Father of all worlds, the Most Holy, alone knows their amount and their beauty. Let us therefore earnestly strive to be found in the number of those who wait for Him, in order that we may share in His promised gifts.”
Clement of Rome (c. AD 90-100) First Letter to the Corinthians 35, translated by Roberts-Donaldson.
Those who wait on the Lord get a share of His promised gifts, which will be good beyond all comprehension. This should help us stay the course despite hard times.
I’m thankful for the faith and perseverance of my parents. It’s both ordinary and extraordinary. They are on my mind as my Dad turns 83 today. Happy birthday Dad!
Their faith is ordinary in that they have not done much that the world would laud as great. Yet it is extraordinary as so many stop waiting, lose heart, and give up. They have not.
And the good news (in a world filled with bad news) is that all those who wait on God can look forward to a share in His promised gifts. God will share with us, and it will undoubtedly be good for all!
Our role is to wait patiently and to share this hope generously in the meantime.