As a kid, I remember being unable to contain my joy when it came time for our family beach trip each summer. I'm pretty sure I was that kid who asked his parents "Are we there yet?" every few miles. Once we actually arrived at the coast, me and my brothers would crane our necks to see who could get the first glimpse of the ocean. It was all I could do to contain myself.
The other day as we were driving down a fairly rural road, we passed an older church with a pretty large graveyard out front (I figured there were more bodies in the ground than in the pews). My wife and I were struck at how the headstones in this cemetery were all turned kind of oddly but in the same direction. It seemed to us that it would make more sense and be practical for them to be facing away from the church and toward the road. That's when it hit us like a brick in the face. These graves were all pointing east. They were buried with the anticipation of Christ's return from the eastern skies (Matthew 24:27).
I don't intend to delve into the exhaustive subject of the end times. But I will say that most Christians can agree that the Lord is going to return and, as Jesus Himself exhorts us on several occasions in the New Testament, we must be ready. We are to live with the anticipation that Jesus could return at any moment.
If I knew that you were coming to my house for lunch at noon, as it grew closer to 12:00 I would be a little anxious anticipating your arrival. If you were a few minutes late I might even pace the floors wondering when you would arrive. How much more should we long for the return of our beautiful Savior!
Are our souls consumed by the thought of being with our King? Do we set our hearts to the east in anticipation of the Lord's return? I'm afraid that I too often am consumed with the cares of this world and the busyness of the day that I don't consider the future glory all that much. May I - and you as well - live as a people who eagerly anticipate the coming eternal kingdom and may our lives reflect the joy that living in the presence of God will bring.
The other day as we were driving down a fairly rural road, we passed an older church with a pretty large graveyard out front (I figured there were more bodies in the ground than in the pews). My wife and I were struck at how the headstones in this cemetery were all turned kind of oddly but in the same direction. It seemed to us that it would make more sense and be practical for them to be facing away from the church and toward the road. That's when it hit us like a brick in the face. These graves were all pointing east. They were buried with the anticipation of Christ's return from the eastern skies (Matthew 24:27).
I don't intend to delve into the exhaustive subject of the end times. But I will say that most Christians can agree that the Lord is going to return and, as Jesus Himself exhorts us on several occasions in the New Testament, we must be ready. We are to live with the anticipation that Jesus could return at any moment.
If I knew that you were coming to my house for lunch at noon, as it grew closer to 12:00 I would be a little anxious anticipating your arrival. If you were a few minutes late I might even pace the floors wondering when you would arrive. How much more should we long for the return of our beautiful Savior!
Are our souls consumed by the thought of being with our King? Do we set our hearts to the east in anticipation of the Lord's return? I'm afraid that I too often am consumed with the cares of this world and the busyness of the day that I don't consider the future glory all that much. May I - and you as well - live as a people who eagerly anticipate the coming eternal kingdom and may our lives reflect the joy that living in the presence of God will bring.
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