Romans 15:4
"For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."
The Scriptures are full of examples of God's grace, patience, comfort and hope. So, as we are ministered to through His Word, we can then minister to others in time of need.
But patience is the key word in this verse. We need to be as patient with God as He has been patient with us. I don't know about you, but I would have given up on me long before He did. I’m still learning and the older I get the more I realize just how much I don’t know about what I don’t know.
Finally Paul speaks of our hope in the Scriptures. Hope is an expectation of a coming good and is most often referred to in conjunction with the second coming of Jesus Christ.
The advice in our text is sound. Read the scriptures, learn form them, be patient and look toward His return.
The Truth
“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19
“Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” (Titus 2:13)
