The Promise is Sure!
Meditation for the week of December 25, 2011
Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
On Christmas day many are opening presents and enjoying the company of family and friends. Some have been in church gatherings. The world is remembering that a baby born in Bethlehem two thousand years ago claimed to be the Savior of the world. Was He? Yes He was!
The day after Christmas, most of the excitement will be over. The gifts will have been unwrapped. The clothes and jewelry will have been put away. The toys will be available for entertainment. The tools will be in the garage and appliances will be on the counter. Most of the company will be gone. Memories will be all that is left of the Christmas traditions, gatherings, food and festivities. Many will feel an empty place in their hearts as they wonder if that is all life has to offer. Some will begin laying plans for a New Year’s Eve party that will help them forget the pointlessness of life if Christmas and New Year’s Eve is all that life has to offer. What people tend to forget is that the Lord has promised to come again! And that promise is just as sure as the promise that He would come the first time.
When the Lord comes again, it will not be as a baby but as a victorious King. He tells the Christians that this coming for them will be a blessed hope (Titus 2:13) and a comfort (1 Thessalonians 4:18). When the Lord talks about His second coming, there are a number of events that are included. He will come for Christians to save them from the judgment that will be coming on the earth. He will set in motion the coming tribulation period. At the end of that period, He will save the Jewish remnant and establish them as a nation. During the tribulation period there will be horror upon horror as men in rebellion against God are involved in terrible wars and atrocities. God will execute judgment against those who did not want Him in their lives by allowing natural disasters and by allowing these wars. Thank God, the Christian has been delivered from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10). For Christians this second coming is something for which we yearn. For the unbeliever, it is going to be a surprise and the terrors are going to be unimaginable. But why worry? After all it has been a long time since the promise was made, and He is by and large not “real” in the lives of most. For many, He is the myth that makes us feel good, not the Savior who wants our undying devotion and loyalty. This is partly because we are a people without patience. When we want something, we want it NOW, but the Lord has promised something that is a long time in coming.
The Lord knew all about our problem with time and reminded us that for him a thousand years is just like one day. In the light of eternity, it is a very short time. (See 2 Peter 3:8-9). The Lord is not slow in carrying out His promise but is waiting for a few more people to be saved. If you are reading this and have never believed in the Lord Jesus, I mean really believed, then you may be one that is hindering the coming of the Lord. He may be having mercy on your soul and He may be waiting to come so that you too can be saved from the wrath to come.
It is the second coming of the Lord that takes away the ache of an empty heart after the Christmas festivities are all over. It is that promise that gives us something about which to get excited. I believe that the King is coming. And if I should pass over to the other side and be “sleeping” when He comes, I have been promised that my body will be raised from the dead to be taken “home” when He comes.
So what are you believing in to get you through the next day or two? What are you believing in to get you through the next war or hurricane or tornado or tsunami or economic collapse? What are you believing in that will give you hope should you be stricken with cancer or heart disease or worse? Is it money, honor, fame, political parties and political promises of men? You know all these things are fleeting and deceitful. I hope you have believed in MY LORD AND SAVIOR. He may not keep His promises when we would like Him to keep them, but HE WILL KEEP THEM. The vision may be for a long time as some versions say with regard to our verse for today, but the promise of His coming makes life sweet. You need to trust Him if you haven’t already. You won’t be disappointed. He will fill that empty aching spot in your heart.
Bruce Collins