The
Greatest Countdown
A devotional by Alexis A. Goring
My friend Abby always does a “Countdown to Spring” every year
starting on the first day of the winter season. It helps her hold onto hope of
better, warmer weather especially given how brutally cold winters are in the
Midwest where she lives.
One night this June 2019, the idea for this devotional struck
me as I thought of a spiritual parallel to this weather-related countdown.
I realized that just as when winter approaches, some of us
like Abby, start a countdown to warmer spring weather, we as Christians should
be “counting down” to The Second Coming of Jesus Christ!
According to Adventist.org, “The
second coming of Christ is the blessed hope of the church, the grand climax of
the gospel. The Saviour’s coming will be literal, personal, visible, and
worldwide. When He returns, the righteous dead will be resurrected, and
together with the righteous living will be glorified and taken to heaven, but
the unrighteous will die. The almost complete fulfillment of most lines of
prophecy, together with the present condition of the world, indicates that
Christ’s coming is near. The time of that event has not been revealed, and we
are therefore exhorted to be ready at all times.”
The difference is that while we can literally count down the days until Spring on our man-made
calendars, we cannot count down the
exact days before Christ’s Second Coming because The Bible says that “no man
knows the hour” (Matthew 24:29-36) of Christ’s return to Earth. Only God knows
when He is sending His Son (Jesus Christ) to wake up His faithful followers and
take them Home to Heaven.
Since no one but God knows
the day and the hour of Christ’s soon return, we need to be vigilant and stay
sober (1 Peter 5:8). We need to live for God every day by spending time with
His Son Jesus Christ (Revelation 3:20) via talking to Him through prayer and studying
His Word (The Holy Bible). We need to daily renew our mind (Romans 12:2) so
that we can focus on what truly matters and know God’s will for our life. Finally,
we need to tell the world about Jesus (Matthew 28:16-20) and treat people with
kindness (Ephesians 4:32) as we speak the gospel truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
Just because we cannot do a literal, tangible countdown to
Christ’s Second Coming does not mean
that we cannot live for Him as if every day were the day that He is coming back to take us home.
This countdown concept reminds me of the church hymn, “We Have This Hope.” Wayne Hooper, the musical composer, wrote the lyrics
for this hymn.
The
hymn shares a message about the importance of having hope in your heart that
looks forward to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It emphasizes how important
keeping your faith in God is as you journey through this life. The song is a
reminder of greater things to come when Christ returns and takes His faithful
followers home to Heaven! It is a reminder that Christ is our Savior, Lord and
King. He loves all of His children
from around the world and He has great things in store for us in Heaven!
The
Bible says, “But as
it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the
heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1
Corinthians 2:9 KJV)
Closing thoughts:
Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep hope alive!
Author Bio (short):
Alexis A. Goring is a passionate writer with a
degree in Print Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing. She loves the art of
storytelling and hopes that her stories will connect readers with the enduring,
forever love of Jesus Christ.
God bless you! Love, Alexis A. Goring
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