Waiting for a bigger change . . .

The election is over but not the hoopla nor the pundits’ predictions of what will happen next. My hubby and I were disappointed in the outcome, but as he said, minority governments do not last too long before another election is called. This too shall pass. We just need to wait.

For a long time, my personal perspective on historical matters mostly focused on details. However, as I study the Bible, the Lord is helping me take more of a big picture view. Instead of being bothered by the here and now, I’m looking at the long-term, the plan of God for all time. It is far more hopeful than today’s headlines.

The Gospel is a great example. It was planned before the world began and promised in the Garden of Eden to the first people when they sinned. It was worked out in a long preparation time as God showed His people that they could not save themselves. Finally the time came and Jesus arrived, died for our sin, rose again and ascended to heaven . . .

Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:24–28)

His sacrifice was perfect, the culmination of what the previous sacrificial system pointed to and the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a Savior, a Messiah who would deliver people from their sin. Not only would He come for that tremendous task, He will come again — for a different reason. He will return to take those who believe in Him into the fullness of the salvation He has secured!

Those in the Old Testament were told that this first event would happen:

It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25:9)

After salvation came through faith in Jesus Christ, those believers of the New Testament were told the second event would happen and how we are to live while we wait for it:

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11–14)

I have no idea when Jesus will return. Is the waiting difficult? Some days it is, but only because I want the peace and grace He will bring. I am excited that He will return even though I don’t know when.

This morning I chuckle that in a few years we will have another election that will perhaps have a different outcome. Waiting for that is a challenge. Waiting for Jesus is much easier and brings more excitement to my heart. The reason? I trust that the results He promised will certainly happen. He did exactly what God promised He would do the first time He came, so I know He will do exactly what He promises to do the second time. He will come and He will reign.

I’m totally anywhere near that certain about the promises made by the politicians!

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Thank You Jesus for Your faithfulness. You keep Your Word and I can count on You for every promise You make. You also give me all I need to wait patiently for You to answer prayer, come to my aid, direct me in how to live, and be content until You return.

 

Today’s thankful list . . .

- the on/off switch on my desktop failed but after I prayed, it worked.

- a really good hair stylist who is a blessing to me.

- fresh veggies, even in October.

- my hubby who helps me with household chores.

- a very good sewing machine.

- finally starting to understand my smart phone a little bit.

Waiting for His arrival . . .

If I got a letter from my beloved cousin in the USA, filled with news and at the end he said he would be at my house in three weeks, what part of the letter would have me the most excited? Seeing him in person would be a huge blessing. Three weeks would seem forever as I waited for his arrival.

The early Christians knew that Jesus promised to return; they just didn’t know when. This would be both exciting and difficult. Like me waiting for my cousin, they would do all necessary preparations for His arrival but they could not simply sit on the steps until He showed. Paul wrote telling them how to manage their time while they looked forward to that day.

First, they were to wait . . .

 . . . Your faith in God has gone forth everywhere . . . the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:8–10)

This was not a problem for them. In their afflictions and persecutions, they were eager for His return. He would deliver them from God’s wrath, but also from their present distresses. I need to wait also, not because life is sometimes a challenge, but because I am eager to see Jesus!

Second, they were to keep on, not only living godly lives but remembering they were precious in Paul’s life . . .

For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy. (1 Thessalonians 2:19–20)

In his book, “The Applause of Heaven,” Max Lucado imagines there will be people lined up to welcome home each believer. He wrote this to encourage his readers to be excited to see Jesus rather than be anxious and fearful about death.

Third, they were to keep on keeping on . . .

May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:12–13)

Some have ‘sold everything and sat on the roof’ waiting for Jesus. Paul says no. Instead, we are to abound in love for all people and be holy, cooperating with the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

Fourth, he gives some details about that event . . .

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18)

Jesus’ return will be a magnificent reunion of believers, so glorious and exciting that my imagination runs wild. This description is debated by theologians but no matter what they say, the promise is clear; we will all be together with Jesus. As we wait, He gives us comfort and emotional strength!

Last, God will do it . . .  

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23–24)

When that day comes, my struggles with sin and efforts to be godly will end; I will be like Christ — because He will finish what He started in me!

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Lord Jesus, there are days when thoughts of this great event do not enter my mind. Forgive me. I ought to be thinking about Your return so much that my life is increasingly given over to everything You want from me and to Your amazing power to transform it. Lately, I’ve been tired, without a lot of ambition or forward thinking. Fill my mind today with thoughts of Your return. It will not be signaled by the ring of a doorbell, but when it happens, I will know that it is You and that it is time to move from this life and be with You forever. This is my comfort and my hope. Amen.

Waiting with patience

In our busy lives, my husband often teases me about the multiple ideas that come into my head. I say I want to make this quilt, or change that, or do something and he smiles and says, “Well, what are you waiting for?”

That is a good question, but not in the usual sense. In our world, people are in a hurry and seldom enjoy waiting for anything. Traffic is one example, as is Christmas. It starts right after November 11 even earlier. Children display impatience too, every time they say, “Are we there yet?” However, I’m not thinking about the impatient kind of waiting, but the waiting we do with great anticipation.

For instance, today we attend a birthday party for a cousin. He is soon going to be 100 years old! Visiting him yesterday was a delight. He is excited about this party and preparing his ‘speech’ with great anticipation. He was not impatient in the sense that he wanted the party to happen ‘right now’ but in the sense that he was looking forward to it.

Christians are supposed to have that kind of anticipation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. However, this morning’s devotional passages opened my eyes to another example of waiting, not what I am supposed to wait for but what Jesus is waiting for!

“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:12–14)

Jesus waits. The word used means to expect, yet it is tied to patience. It is like waiting for the bread to finish baking in the oven, or waiting for the rose bud to open into full bloom. It is knowing with certainty that something is going to happen, but not yet, and not being anxious that it happens asap.

Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. He knows that all those who oppose Him will bow with the rest who already acknowledge that He is Lord. He sits at the right had of the Father with that knowledge and waits for it to happen. He is not anxious, but patiently expectant.

These verses even illustrate this with another concept. Jesus has perfected His people by His sacrifice. In Him, we are perfectly righteous. In this life, we are set apart for Him (sanctified) until that perfection is made evident. It is like having a million dollars deposited in the bank for me. That money belongs to me, but it is not ‘spendable’ until withdrawn. I have the perfection of holiness, even though most of it is on deposit!

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Jesus, my cousin’s party starts in a few hours. We are excited. However, I’m also waiting with anticipation for the Your appearing and the fulfillment of Your promises. We are not there yet, and most of the time I’m not impatient. But I must admit that on occasion I say, “Please come, Lord Jesus.”

LATER: What a lovely party! We feasted and sang, visited and made new friends. The party has come and gone, but left us with wonderful memories. Thanks to all who conveyed their best wishes. My cousin is tired, but totally happy.