Your imminent return lifts my heart in hope. like an invincible train charging forward toward its destination, time propels us ever closer to that Great Day. being found in Christ, ours is a great hope in this sure promise.
today my thoughts settle on future events described in Revelation, since an elder in our home fellowship has been teaching through the book of Revelation bi-weekly. oh, that many more people would turn to Christ this side of eternity, bowing their knee to the High King and being bathed in His rich mercy--the offer to have all of one’s sins forgiven and live life with Him! what an incredible cost Jesus paid on the cross to secure our salvation from sin and provide true life here on earth. one day this opportunity will be no more and those without His mercy will receive His rightful judgment and eternal punishment. 2 Peter 3 comes to mind:
"I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." (2 Peter 3 ESV)
years back, i remember often talking to my 3 year old daughter about being eager for Jesus’ return. she captured my heart when i realized she really heard me. one day she was really sad. i inquired of the reason and she said that she wanted to give Jesus a big hug and was sad that His return hadn’t happened yet. she spoke the very words from my own heart! we, God’s beloved, are all called to wait for the coming of the day of God. while some days it is on the forefront of my mind, unfortunately, i have many days that it is the farthest from my mind.
this passage tells us how we are to live as we await the coming day. what shocks me is that it tells us that we can actually hasten its coming! i still can’t get my mind all the way around that one...food for thought!
"Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God…" (2 Peter 3:11-12 ESV)
the heavenly bodies will be dissolved, melting as they are burned. the heavens will be set on fire and dissolve, passing away with a roar. the earth and all earthly works will be utterly exposed. having this very knowledge, we are instructed to live diligently, pursuing lives of holiness and godliness, to be found by him without blemish. one day our waiting for the promised new heavens and new earth will come to an end. it will be reality. and there, righteousness will dwell. what imagery: righteousness dwelling on the earth. i look forward to the day when our eyes see this and faith will be like old glasses that fall to the ground after having been granted new and perfect vision by our King.
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what helps you wait for the coming day of God and keep this in the forefront of your mind?
(no kids' names request: if you leave a comment, please use only first initial of names. many thanks!!)