The Return of the King
My wife, Sheila, was so
excited when we woke up Saturday morning, while at the same time I was
groaning. What was behind those opposing
emotions? Not because it was
Thanksgiving weekend. Not because the first day of deer season was Monday. Not
because I was with her.
IT WAS SNOWING!!
Sheila gets delightedly
excited when snow falls from the heavens while I dread the nasty wet stuff. The
difference? She looks forward the beauty
of freshly fallen snow. She looks forward to the look of newness when it covers
the earth. She looks forward to days
when shuts life down and when are forced to stay home. She looks forward to the hush that falls when
the snow hushes all noise. She looks
forward to walking in it and even shoveling it!
It’s about all the ways snow adds value to life.
I dread it the
troublesome precipitation!! My thoughts go many directions, none of which have
anything to do with beauty, newness, cozy days at home, romantic walks or
hushing noises. My thoughts are about
trying to get off of the treacherous, icy, slick hill we live on, the dangers
of driving in it, the aching muscles from shoveling it, paying for it to be
removed, the wasted time I have to spend on it.
It’s about all the ways it sucks value from my life.
Same snow. Even the same home. Sheila longs for it and I don’t have one cell
in my body that wants it.
Very much like the two
mindsets of humanity about Jesus coming back.
The Bible tells us we
should be excited, longing, even praying for the Return of the King -
Jesus. Not just knowing it as a fact and
promise of our Lord, but focused on it, LONGING for that day. I’m ashamed to admit that I have not been
LONGING for my Savior’s return.
“Both the Old and New
testaments are filled with references to the second coming of Christ. One
scholar has estimated that there are 1,845 references to Christ's second coming
in the Old Testament, where 17 books give it prominence. In the 260
chapters of the New Testament, there are 318 references to the second advent of
Christ--an amazing 1 out of every 30 verses. Twenty-three of the 27 New
Testament books refer to this great event. For every prophecy in the Bible
concerning Christ's first advent, there are 8 which look forward to His second!” (Today in the Word, April, 1989, p. 27).
You get the idea that the
return of the King is a big deal to God!
Something that we should be LONGING for.
But… most Christians I’ve met are not focused on Jesus’ return. I’ve been asking myself, “Why?” When the Bible gives it that much ink, why
are we not doing the same?
- Is it possible we’re
too comfortable with earthly life to focus on the next?
- Is it possible we’re
too caught up in the here to be longing for the hereafter?
- Is it possible we’re
not convinced of the pleasure of Heaven?
2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV) I have fought the
good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in
store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,
will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed
for his appearing.
I will not long for snow,
but I’m working on longing for the return of the One Who loves me most.
How about you?
Boldly, Herb
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