Urgent Expectation

Let me say before I write this, that I'm not sharing this to preach to you and scare you into anything. My motives for writing this is simply to share with you what's been on my heart and in my mind for the last few weeks. Remember, this is just my 'journal' of sorts, and I just want to get it down. That being said...

God has laid such a sense of urgency on my heart in the past few weeks. And I think I asked for it, unknowingly. You know the phrase, 'Be careful what you ask for, or you just might get it.' Yup, this holds true with God. I've been asking God to teach me certain things, and to show me certain things. And He has. In no uncertain terms, I now know the desperation and urgency that God feels for each of us. If I ever doubted God's love for any one of us, I no longer doubt it. I couldn't if I wanted to. And because of this, I have such a sense of urgency - one that, quite honestly, I was happy without. But now that I've felt it, I cannot shake it - it can't be ignored.

So I've started thinking - How have I come to be so passive? I remember being younger in church, hearing someone teach about the end of times. As a child, I felt certain that Jesus could return at any moment. And I wanted Him to find me being good, listening to my mom, being nice to others. I had an awareness of His pending return. I was looking forward to it. Somehow, in my adult years, that awareness has fallen by the way-side. For no better way to say it, I've become passive. I've lost that sense of urgency and expectation. How does that happen?

I guess it's the false sense of security that comes with the passing of time. The past 29 years of my life have not brought the return of Christ. And I've been taught that the best indicator of future events is the past. Well, this is one instance that CANNOT be held under that 'rule.' There is no precedent for the return of the King, only the promise.

In Biblical times, much of their teaching was on preparation for the return of Christ. They were certain that He was coming 'soon,' as they said over and over again throughout the New Testament. Today we find ourselves 2000 years later, still plugging along with life as usual. But what's 2000 years to a God Who surpasses time? The Bible says that 1000 years is like a day to Him. So, I guess we could say that about 2 days have passed since Jesus ascended to heaven. In that light, I guess it wasn't so long ago after all. So what's my 29 years? Hardly a breath.

The Bible is full of prophesies - prophesies made with surprising accuracy hundreds of years before they were fulfilled. It has proven itself time and time again to be reliable in predicting future events. The one prophesy left unfulfilled today is the return of Jesus, which was promised by Jesus Himself. It is just a matter of time. And as I've sought Him, God has rekindled my sense of expectancy - urgency. God is teaching me to expect Him to show up in my life every day. This may be in small ways, like a kind gesture from a stranger, or a sense of peace when I would otherwise feel stormy. But I also have the expectation that He can show up BIGGER if He chooses to. He can reveal Himself in so many ways. And ultimately, He will reveal Himself to us all, in His return to call us home. While I go on with life as usual, I must not lay aside my expectation for His coming, and I must not lose my sense of urgency.

What an awesome day that will be.