While We Wait

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to ALL people. It teaches us to say, “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the Blessed Hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13).

Waiting for the Lord to come and right every wrong is hard! We see so much corruption and abuse that seems to go unchecked, and our weary souls cry out for help. But, in the waiting there is purpose. This precious window of time is meant to bring more souls to Christ, as “He is not willing that any should perish but that ALL should come to repentance.”

It’s an opportunity for our testimony to shine in the darkness. We are told to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions. When the world is hot-tempered and foul-mouthed, we should be walking in peace and self control. When mega-doses of anxiety are purposely served up on every newscast and online feed, causing violence and division, we need to stay separate from it, and point people to our coming Lord.

The only way this is possible is to know the Word. Jesus said that “In the end perilous times would come,” and that “nations and ethnic groups and families would be against each other.” He was specific when He said that this last days generation would be “Unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal (cruel), and hate what is good” (2 Timothy 3:3). That’s a tough environment to live in!

But, we are here for such a time as this. Why? To show them a New Way, a Real Hope, and a Righteousness that has no comparison. None of our hope is in this world or its systems, but in Christ alone. Like the eagle that soars above the storm, waiting for it to pass, may we be good examples of what it means to be, “In the world but not of it.” We are His waiting Bride. May we wait faithfully.

(Devotional by Cheryl Hall-Laos)