Blessed is the person who keeps going when times are difficult. After they’ve made it through these times, they’ll receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to give to those who love him.
Our troubles are small and they last only for a short time, but they’re earning a glory for us that will last forever. That glory outweighs all our troubles.
And that’s not all. We have the first signs of what the Spirit will give us fully, but we also are groaning inside as we wait for our adoption to be finalized.
The churches chose him to come along with us as we collect the offering and bring it to Jerusalem. We’re carrying out this work because we want to honor the Lord and show how ready we are to help.