Your Kingdom Come.......But Not Yet
I used to pray and say, "God, I am just ready for Jesus to come back." If things were going hard or I was tired of struggling with some sin, this would be the prayer on my lips.
Now, I am fearful to pray this prayer. I am nervous every time I think about Christ's return. I know I don't have anything to worry about - I know when He returns I will get to be glorified with Him. My fear and this ache in my heart isn't for me.
It's for all of those who have yet to hear the gospel.
Those who don't even know His name. Those who have heard it, but don't believe. Those who have hate or anger stir up in their heart when they hear His name. Those who think they believe and know Him, but really don't.
I found out today that one of my fraternity brothers passed away unexpectedly. He was only 22 years old. I have had people die around me before, most of them much younger than 22. It's a confusing, heartbreaking thing. You don't have to know any of them well, or have experienced this yourself, in order to know that it just isn't right. Children aren't supposed to go before their parents. Death, and in turn life, shouldn't be this way. I start feeling angry and begin questioning the Lord as to why He allows this to happen. After all, He is sovereign over it all.
And then, like a slap in my face, the Lord reminds me that death isn't how this was supposed to be. Because of our sin, because of what happened in the garden of Eden, death is now a consequence of our sin and rebellion. Death is a result of our sins against the holy and righteous God.
This is all just making me feel more anxious about life in general. It points again to the fact that we are made for so much more than this mundane life. We are made for one purpose: to glorify and worship our God, and to tell the nations all about Him. We are made to proclaim the gospel to those who don't know! We can't get caught up in this temporary world, in these material possessions, in the amount of money we have in a bank account or our retirement plan. We have the opportunity to invest in something that never perishes, never fades, and will last for eternity. Knowing that, why do we invest our hearts and time and money in anything else???
I am praying that the Lord causes a revival in our hearts - a revival to see that He has given us a task, and we can't put it off for tomorrow. I pray that you begin to invest your time and talents and finances in things that last forever. I pray for those souls that don't yet know who Jesus is. I pray that we live with boldness, so we can pray "Your Kingdom Come" knowing that we did all we could to tell others about the good news of the gospel.
Now, I am fearful to pray this prayer. I am nervous every time I think about Christ's return. I know I don't have anything to worry about - I know when He returns I will get to be glorified with Him. My fear and this ache in my heart isn't for me.
It's for all of those who have yet to hear the gospel.
Those who don't even know His name. Those who have heard it, but don't believe. Those who have hate or anger stir up in their heart when they hear His name. Those who think they believe and know Him, but really don't.
I found out today that one of my fraternity brothers passed away unexpectedly. He was only 22 years old. I have had people die around me before, most of them much younger than 22. It's a confusing, heartbreaking thing. You don't have to know any of them well, or have experienced this yourself, in order to know that it just isn't right. Children aren't supposed to go before their parents. Death, and in turn life, shouldn't be this way. I start feeling angry and begin questioning the Lord as to why He allows this to happen. After all, He is sovereign over it all.
And then, like a slap in my face, the Lord reminds me that death isn't how this was supposed to be. Because of our sin, because of what happened in the garden of Eden, death is now a consequence of our sin and rebellion. Death is a result of our sins against the holy and righteous God.
This is all just making me feel more anxious about life in general. It points again to the fact that we are made for so much more than this mundane life. We are made for one purpose: to glorify and worship our God, and to tell the nations all about Him. We are made to proclaim the gospel to those who don't know! We can't get caught up in this temporary world, in these material possessions, in the amount of money we have in a bank account or our retirement plan. We have the opportunity to invest in something that never perishes, never fades, and will last for eternity. Knowing that, why do we invest our hearts and time and money in anything else???
I am praying that the Lord causes a revival in our hearts - a revival to see that He has given us a task, and we can't put it off for tomorrow. I pray that you begin to invest your time and talents and finances in things that last forever. I pray for those souls that don't yet know who Jesus is. I pray that we live with boldness, so we can pray "Your Kingdom Come" knowing that we did all we could to tell others about the good news of the gospel.
Let us live without fear.
Let us not be scared to take risks for the gospel.
Let us live with abandoned hearts for Christ.
Let us not take one more minute for granted.
There are desperate, lost souls who are counting on you to be obedient to the Lord's call - after all, neither of you are guaranteed tomorrow...
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