I am not a patient person. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve burned my tongue because I wasn’t willing to wait for my pie (or my egg roll or my French fries or any various molten carbs) to cool down.
Anticipation is one of the great emotional aspects of life. Sure, it can be bad, if you’re anticipating pain of some kind. But when you’re anticipating something fun or something happy, it turns into a joyous experience.
Anticipating something wonderful can be a bonding experience with other people who are waiting for the same thing. Like a movie or a book by your favorite author. Sometimes waiting can be fun, if you know what you’re waiting for is worth it. So have you asked yourself what exactly it is that you’re waiting for?
Are you waiting on a relationship? Are you waiting on a pay raise? Are you a nerd like me and you’re waiting on the next Marvel movie? Those are great things to wait for, wonderful things to hope for. And most of the them will be worth waiting on.
But what about something bigger? What about waiting for something that will last forever?
We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.
Titus 2:12b-13
Are you waiting for Jesus? I’m asking myself because most of the time I get more excited about an upcoming book release than I do about Jesus returning. And that’s not how the Bible says I’m supposed to live.
Our greatest hope, what we anticipate the most, should be the day when Jesus comes back for us. That is one of the greatest promises that God has made to us, and, friends, that day is coming very soon. Sooner than anyone thinks.
That doesn’t mean we can’t look forward to other things that bring us joy, but we need to check our own hearts. If anticipating those other things is more exciting to me than Jesus’ return, I need to take a moment and remind myself what really matters.
Questions for Reflection:
What is something you are anticipating right now?
Do you see the Second Coming of Jesus as something to be excited about? Or are you afraid of what will happen?
How do you think you can learn to anticipate Jesus’ return more?
Week 49 Memory Verse:
This world belongs to satan. There is so much evil, sadness, grief, and suffering here. Eternity with Jesus in Heaven (and all the others who have gone before us) is almost impossible to imagine. Eternity with Jesus and all our fellow saints. "What a day, glorious day, that will be!"
I look around me and wonder how non-believers make it through the day without the assurance of Jesus. Knowing that His return is the "sparkle and light" in this dark world and without Him how can one see clearly.