Worldwide Christmas December 5, 2025 Devotional

ROMANS 8:18, 21-22 | ¹⁸ I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. ²¹ that the creation itself will be set free from its enslavement to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning together as it suffers together the pains of labor.

Why do the most beautiful moments in our lives bring tears to our eyes? Perhaps because moments of truth, moments of peace, and moments of love are not only precious but also fleeting. Every glimpse of something pure or holy is brief and reminds us of how much of life is a battle. We face the daily inner struggle to live out our values with integrity. We live in a world where the headlines report wars and rumors of wars, diseases and disasters, criminal behaviors, and the daily toll of casualties in the obituary section. Paul puts a cosmic spin on the daily headlines when he says, "all creation is groaning—especially us!"

The return of Jesus is the signal that the battle is over. All evil, in us and beyond us, will be defeated and the groaning will become singing.

As Jesus followers we must have a double approach to the evil we see in the world. On the one hand we must love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. We must embody the grace and forgiveness of God even to those who are evil. Yet at the same time we can pray, work, and yearn for the defeat of evil in history and its judgment at history's end.

It is reassuring to know that child trafficking, rape, and wars, founded on greed or hatred, will not go on forever and these behaviors will not go unpunished. One of the reasons we pray "Thy Kingdom come" is that we want these terrible evils to be defeated and ended. The tragedy and confusion of our human history will ultimately give way to clarity and righteousness.

When was the last time you felt like groaning about a battle in your life?

What injustice bothers you most? Pray about it.

Gracious God,

As we groan, help us to also work for justice and peace, knowing You will defeat evil in the end.

Amen.