Thursday, October 26, 2023

[New post] Groaning for His Face

Groaning for His Face

wrestlingwordblog

Oct 26

For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling … 2 Corinthians 5:2

"... we groan" is the Greek word stenázō. It means "to groan because of pressure of being exerted forward (like the forward pressure of childbirth)."¹

Childbirth, we groan in childbirth, longing for our home in His Presence. It must be hard to be born. We can't remember, but do babies groan at the pressure exerted forward into life? Are they wordless groans, groaning with the Spirit of God and the whole creation?

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8:26

For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only that, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan (stenázō) within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, the redemption of our body. Romans 8:22-23 (NASB)

[Jesus] looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh (stenázō) said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means "Be opened!"). Mark 7:34

The word stenázō comes from stenós, which means narrow and strait. This root word is used only by Jesus in the New Testament, quoted twice, once in Matthew and once in Luke.

Enter through the narrow (stenós) gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small (stenós) is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14

Childbirth, the birth canal, the narrow gate, the new birth. We groan to be born into Your Presence, O Lord!

I groan

to be born

to be fully born

to be caught

in your strong arms

enveloped in your embrace

I groan

to know you

to fully know

fully known

to see clearly