Looking Ahead

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I work part-time at my church and part of my job is planning big events for the over 50's crowd.  The past few weeks, I spent quite a bit of time putting together a bus trip for the fall to the Ark and Creation Museum in Kentucky, and I'm pricing out a group Bible Study Cruise for February 2021.  

I've been flipping the pages of my calendar ahead by the days, weeks, months and even years as I make plans for the future.  Sometimes, I’m ashamed to say, I forget what day of the week it actually is because I'm looking ahead to the next big event.

The discussion about these future activities are exciting even though they can be months or years away, but as I review the details and make plans for these events before I know it, they have arrived.  They really aren't that far away after all. 

There was a time in my life, when Believers looked ahead far more than we do now.  There was a time when we talked about the coming of the Lord with excitement and expectation.  There was a day when we tagged this phrase at the end of every future event.  

"... if the Lord tarries."  

Once the normal conversation of a Christian sounded a lot like this:

 “I’ll be there on Friday, if the Lord tarries.”

“Next month is our vacation to Lake Michigan, if the Lord tarries.”

“My wedding is in four months, if the Lord tarries.”

Do you remember saying that?  

We were looking, planning, expecting for His coming.  How exciting that was--looking ahead!

The Bible tells us to occupy until He comes--to make ourselves useful for the cause of Christ, but in Philippians 3:20 it also reminds us of this very thing...For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And in Titus 2:13 we cling to this promise--looking forward to that wonderful time we’ve been expecting, when his glory shall be seen—the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.  (TLB)

I've had my share of looking ahead for the next big events, but there is none more exciting nor more annticipated than this one—His return!

 ...come Lord Jesus.



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