Our Blessed Hope

I am writing this devotional immediately after returning from a mission trip to South Africa. As we were driving towards Johannesburg airport, on our way home, the clouds were heavy and black. Suddenly there was a hole in the clouds and the brilliance of the sun’s rays shone through. It was a dramatic moment and inevitably we began to think of how the world’s darkness will one day be penetrated with the light of eternity when Jesus comes again.

God has a strategy for eternity and He is watching and waiting, as the years roll by, for that moment when He has gathered into His Kingdom all whom He has planned to be with Him in the heavenly realms. One day the one who is the Blessed Hope of believers from all the centuries will burst through the skies of time with the brilliance of eternity. It won’t then be like a local black cloud being penetrated by the rays of the sun, but all the world’s darkness will be shown up for what it is as the sun of righteousness returns from glory to gather His bride to Himself.

In the meantime Paul urges us to always be ready for when that moment comes, for there will be a generation that’s still alive on the earth when Jesus returns – and it could be ours. The best way to get ready for His coming to us or, if we die first, for our going to Him, is to heed Paul’s advice in our reading and continually say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and live godly lives – living as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, while here on earth.

Having found salvation in our Saviour, the enemy never ceases to try and throw us off course and limit our potential through disobedience to God. None of us know either the day or the hour when Jesus will come again or the day or the hour when our earthly lives will come to a close. But if we always live as if today is our last day on earth, we will always be able to give Satan a ‘No’ when he tempts us and we will remain focussed on living for our Lord and serving Him every day of the rest of our lives.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that we can look forward with great anticipation to Your coming again. Help me to always live as if your coming is imminent and to have the courage to always say No to the enemy, when he tempts me to sin. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.