Waiting in Expectation

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first”: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” I Thessalonians 4:16-18

Someone in our country is holding a lottery ticket worth sixty-eight million dollars. I have never purchased a lottery ticket and have no desire to do so. I could not imagine the tension and stress of waiting for the announcement of the winner.  Millions of tickets have been sold and only one person has won the jackpot. The rest will all be disappointed.

I am so glad that I have a ticket to the greatest event that will ever happen. I did not purchase it; it was purchased for me when Jesus shed His precious blood on Calvary’s cross. When the trumpet sounds and the Lord returns for His church, everyone who has accepted His gift will obtain their reward. Jesus will not shuffle the names listed in His Book of Life and only select a few to enter Heaven. The decision has already been made.

This week we have been looking at people in the Bible who had a promise or a dream from God, but who were willing to patiently wait until it was God’s perfect time for it to come to pass.

We have all been given a promise: John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.”

While we anticipate the soon return of the Lord, we are in a waiting period. Each day gives us time to learn more about the Lord, and let His Spirit work on our lives, making us what He wants us to be. We thank Him for the love and mercy He has bestowed upon us, and we seek opportunities to share that love with others. We spend time in prayer and reading His Word, strengthening our faith.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.” I Peter 1:3-4 

Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, for all your love for us. We thank you that you have paid the price for our redemption and our reward is sure. Help us to make the best use of our time as we wait for the fulfillment of your promises.

Devotion by Anne Johnston