Eagerly Waiting

“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭9:27-28‬ ‭ESV‬‬).

I remember the anticipation building inside of me like pressure builds inside of a volcano. I had never been to a concert before, and the eighth grader inside of me was about to burst at the seams. My favorite band, Journey, was coming to near-by Tacoma and I had somehow managed to get permission from my parents to go.

As the day drew closer I couldn’t think of anything else. Homework wasn’t going to get done, or at least it wasn’t going to get done well! Not even television provided much of a distraction. And the day of the show? I’m surprised that I was focused enough to get dressed that morning.

I knew what was coming, and I couldn’t have been more excited!

I grew up in the Church. And although I knew that Jesus would one day return for His Bride, I confess that I wasn’t all that excited about it. I was young; and even tomorrow seemed far away. The idea of death was foreign to me, and I don’t think that I had fully grasped the concepts of the second coming and an eternal Heaven. Perhaps I still haven’t.

I certainly wasn’t excited about death (and I’m still not!). But through the death of Jesus I was granted forgiveness, for which I am eternally grateful!

And the news gets better. Jesus will come back again, “not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” As I read those words this morning I found myself transported in my mind to Junior High School and that concert. For those of us who have faith in Jesus, we need not fear His return, because our guilt has been removed! He will be coming to save us and bring us to a glorious eternal home! And while I believe that our eagerness, or lack thereof, is not a factor in whether we go with Him, I do believe that’s how He wants to find us.

When my kids were little, and I was returning home from a business trip, I always looked forward to the way that they’d react when they saw me. The sheer joy on their faces filled my heart to overflowing! As much as it is within my power, I want to greet Jesus the way my kids greeted me, whether He comes tomorrow, or long after I have breathed my last breath.

Blessings on your day!