Text: Romans 8:18-31
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” —Romans 8:18
Cheryl loved butterflies. My wife’s sister combined her butterfly affinity with her longtime passion of photography, capturing some of the most stunning portraits of butterflies in Northeast Ohio. I was browsing her website after Cheryl passed away last week, bringing closure to a seven year battle with cancer. In her “Butterflies and Caterpillars” gallery she gave the subtitle, “Not a lowly worm anymore.”
My sister-in-law loved to be in nature, capturing every moment she could with God’s awesome creation. She knew so much about birds, reptiles, insects, and those fascinating creatures we call butterflies. A caterpillar’s metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly is one of those awe-inspiring transformations in wildlife. It reaches maturity through a strenuous cycle that includes pupation—a passive meltdown of all but the core cells of the caterpillar’s body. The lowly worm’s struggle in one form must seem like forever… until at last it emerges into a glorious new form altogether.
American novelist Richard Bach said: “What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.”
Our tussle is always a matter of perspective. Speaking to early Christians about their struggle with pain and hardship, Paul wrote: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” He spoke of waiting for the “redemption of our bodies” with hope and patience (Romans 8:23-25), that the Holy Spirit helps us in our current weaknesses (Romans 8:26-27), that all things work together for the good of those who love God (Romans 8:28), and that nothing in all this world can separate us from the love of Christ—not tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword, death, “nor things present nor things to come.”
God has promised us the victory and triumph over all things, including the glorious resurrection of our earthly bodies. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26). Paul spoke of a future spiritual metamorphosis when he hailed that one day “this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:53). On that day, we will be no “lowly worms” anymore. The temporary human struggle will give way to the infinite goodness of God as we fly eternally free of pain and suffering like a butterfly arrayed in all its glory.
What is your version of the cocoon this day, beloved? What is your struggle? May you find encouragement in the promise that nothing on this side of the cocoon can even compare to what God has prepared for you on the other side (Romans 8:18). God’s word tells us to wait for it with hope and patience, to trust in His process, to allow the Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness, and to never—ever—forget that nothing in all of this transitory world can ever separate us from the love of Christ. Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.
PRAYER
God, the struggle is real. Sometimes it hurts too much to even pray. In those times we can rest assured that even the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us. Thank you for the promises You have given to us. Help us to lean in to those promises each day, especially when the cocoon feels quite dark. Swell our hearts with the confidence that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us later. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Questions for Reflection, Small Group or Family Discussion:
- What feels like a cocoon to you in this moment?
- When have you found it hard to pray?
- What might we learn about God’s love for us when we realize that the Holy Spirit helps us even when we cannot pray?
- What does God promise to us that can make any suffering bearable?
- In what circumstances of your life do you need to wait patiently for God to act?
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