DAY 41 – WAITING FOR PENTECOST

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Those are words that we pray – Even so, come, Lord Jesus – but always with a twinge of mixed emotion, because all of us have loved ones we want to see come to know the Lord, and when He comes again, our waiting will be over, but so will their opportunity. 

The other reality is that for those of us who live in countries where it is still safe (for the moment) to be a Christian, we have so many blessings that we hold on to the present.  Many times I have said, “I know my destination, but I am in no rush to get there.”  I know heaven will be even better – but I cling to life on earth.  I experience moments that are painful – but hope is not lost….  I experience hurts both inside and outside my Church, but I am not persecuted – yet – for being a Christian.  Many in other countries are experiencing true persecution.  My news feed this morning alerted me to the senseless slaughter of 22 Christians in Egypt – targeted because of their faith.   It hurts to hear of those who are being martyred for their faith.   I believe in something worth dying for – but they just did!   Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

…..

I wonder precisely what it was like to be in the disciples’ sandals the day after Jesus ascended to Heaven.  They had experienced the full gamut of emotions from the ecstasy of Palm Sunday to the agony of Jesus’ death on a criminal’s cross.  From the assurance of confident hope to the devastation of destructive reality.  And then He came back to life on the third day just as He promised.  (A promise you will recall that they didn’t understand because they were so focused on an earthly kingdom.)

Hope swelled once more.  Surely the Messiah would establish His kingdom on earth!  But no, now He was gone – they watched Him rise into the air and be swallowed up in the clouds.  And His last instruction to them was:  Wait!


And so, we wait….