Waiting Part Two And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7 Mary and Joseph knew their new baby was to be born. The prophesied Messiah was to be born to the Virgin Mary. The Son of God, Emmanuel (which means God is with us) was to be born Jesus the Savior of the entire world. Mary and Joseph knew this. They looked for a place to stay, but there was nowhere to be found except a manger for sheep and cows. Joseph prepared a bed out of a feeding trough and put hay in to keep it warm for the baby. Joseph and Mary had nine months to prepare and wait. Imagine the joy and impatience they must have felt. But they had to wait till it was time, God’s time. I know about waiting, especially around Christmas. When I was a little child living with a brother and sister living in a two-story house, Christmas Eve was always a sleepless night. We waited with the excitement of knowing that when we got up there would be presents. What we were getting? My siblings and I would wait upstairs while our parents slept downstairs on a pullout couch so they would be awake when we decided it was time to get up. Oh, the agonizing waiting. One year, we had a plan. My siblings sent me downstairs, to sneak past the guards and check under the tree—some reconnaissance, if you will. I made my move and then went back upstairs and reported the sizes of boxes. We couldn’t wait, but there was more waiting. That morning, we got all our gifts and sat down to breakfast. I forgot to mention we had a dog, Spooky, a great little dog and friend. While eating and thinking of all the gifts and smiles on our young faces, Dad said, “The funniest thing happened this morning. I saw Spooky walking around the Christmas tree wearing Kenny’s pajamas.” Whoops. Dad smiled. Imagine Saturday, the day after Jesus was crucified. The apostles had scattered in fear but returned to a house to hide. They didn’t know what was going to happen. They sat in anticipation, in anxiously waiting to learn their fate. Their Savior was dead, their hopes shattered, what was to become of them? The apostles didn’t even know what they were waiting for, but their waiting paid off when Jesus walked through the wall, very much alive. Now this is our Saturday. Jesus promised us he would come back again. But when? We don’t know the hour or the day. He will come like a thief in the night. We do know he will come on a cloud with tens of thousands of angels to get us. We will hear a horn. But when will he come? Oh the waiting. As Christians, should we sit and wait like travelers waiting on a bus? No, we are to pass on the message, the good news of Jesus. God has a plan. God’s plans are always awesome. God has his own time. We don’t need longsuffering and a schedule. We need to be active. We need to grow in our spiritual disciplines and maturity. We need to be preparing for his return, for the day he brings us home where we belong, at his side with our Father. Oh, what a glorious day that will be. We wait, not impatiently, but ministering, being of service to one another, spreading the word of Jesus, and taking as many people home as we can minister to. God has a plan. God has his own time. Believe and have faith that the time will be right and the plan will be awesome
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 19:00:19 +0000
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