If you’ve ever been in labor (before epidurals came into use), this scripture probably brings back memories. I remember thinking in the middle of trying to give birth, “They don’t call it labor for nothin’! This is hard work!” Labor is extremely painful…but when they put the baby in your arms, it’s all forgotten. All that matters is the little life you’re holding.

The earth is groaning—wildfires, earthquakes in strange places, floods, droughts, tornadoes, hurricanes. We’re helpless against these natural disasters. But when Jesus appears in the clouds, all of the trials of life and all of the memories of sorrow and heartache will disappear in the blink of an eye. God created this world. He knows its moment of beginning, and He knows the moment He will bring in a new heaven and earth. It IS coming. We have this hope to sustain us.