Dearest Members of Bethlehem,
“Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be, has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this; when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.” -1 John 3:2-3
We need something to look forward to…
So much of the Bible is driven by anticipation. Just think about it: the Israelites long to be delivered from Egypt, and then they eagerly anticipate their entry into the Promised Land. When those same Israelites are taken into exile, there is glorious prophetic literature that beautifully articulates their deep desire to return to Jerusalem.
Such longing is found beyond the Hebrew Scriptures too. The disciples look forward to that moment when Jesus will finally usher in the kingdom that they have been waiting so patiently to experience. Think of the interminable time between Jesus’ death and resurrection when the faithful looked forward to the fulfillment of the promise. And how about all those early Christians whose life was shaped by their anticipation of the coming Holy Spirit, as well as their eagerness for Christ’s “coming again.”
This is a biblical witness not only worth contemplating, but also worth emulating. Having something to look forward to has the capacity to draw you with some joy into the future. That anticipation shapes your current experience and allows you to learn into a new day with some hopefulness and eagerness.
And so, I share that suggestion this morning, and that’s all it is… just a suggestion, but set something out there on the horizon, give yourself something to look forward to.
And please, I am not saying that you need to book a cruise to the Riviera, how about simply booking an appointment with that comfy chair on the back porch, how about reaching out to a friend and setting aside some time to grab a cup of coffee, maybe there’s a chocolate chip cookie with your name on it, waiting patiently in the pantry for your bedtime snack. Even these little things, have the capacity to reshape the tenor and tone of our days.
The sacred story of God’s people continually reminds us, there will be times when we are making our way through some fairly dark valleys… but that’s precisely what we’re doing, “we’re making our way.” And it won’t be long before we make our way toward a whole new vista; one touched by beauty and a little more light… definitely something to look forward to!
Question for reflection: What are you looking forward to?
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Dan
Gracious Lord, let our hope be genuine; remind us that there is joy to be experienced in this very moment and we have every reason to trust that your goodness awaits us in the days to come. By your grace, there is in fact always something to look forward to. We pray this in the name of our risen Lord Jesus Christ, amen.