COME
“…and this shall come to pass, if
ye will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.” Zechariah 6:15
God
has a plan for the ages and it will all come to pass, meaning it will
happen. Inside the sovereignty of God
everything is set, yet when we look at this verse, we see that our obedience
plays a role in how things work out. The
balance between God’s absolute management and our free will has produced many a
discussion, but two things remain certain, time will move forward according to
God’s plan and my obedience is His will for me inside that plan.
When
I come to conundrums like this in God’s Word I go back to God’s explanation in
Deuteronomy 29:29. “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which
are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all
the words of this law.”
God
has revealed enough of His Word to keep me occupied. He has everything else
under control. I need to concern myself,
then, with obeying what I do understand.
Another
approach to take is that of acceptance.
Whatever I am facing today will pass.
It will not be forever. Poor
finances come and go. Hurts and disappointments
come and go. Life has ebb and tide. I can rest when I understand that I am not
stuck, but going with God’s flow.
However,
even in those times, I have a responsibility to diligently obey. It isn’t a time to let go of all I have
learned, but rather, a time to hone my skills – to ride the waves. They will eventually take me to shore.
Are
you wondering where life is taking you?
Do you trust the sovereignty of God?
Can you rest in knowing, as much as in not knowing? Whatever you are facing today, realize that
it is just for a portion of time…it has come and it will go.
COME
“Come unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden….” Matthew 11:28
Oh,
how we all enjoy a holiday, a time to sit on the beach, or drop in that fishing
line, or go camping. Whatever is your favorite form of relaxation, you take it
expecting to be revived. The thoughts
and plans of a holiday can carry you through the heavy times at work as you daydream
about the happy time ahead.
And
then the holiday arrives! You
frantically make sure everything at home is sorted, all the bills are paid, the
pets are cared for, the bags are packed, the plane tickets, passports, hotels,
etc. are all in the right places, then you rush out the door heading toward
this awesome place.
Once
you arrive you fill the time with as much fun as you can pack in. After all, you only get one holiday a year
and you want to make the most of it. At
the end of the week you throw all the dirty laundry back into the bag, scour
the room to make sure you don’t leave anything behind, collect back up the
passports and tickets and make a mad dash to travel back home. You arrive exhausted and with a mountain of
laundry and post waiting for you. “What
a great holiday,” you exclaim, and then you begin thinking about holiday for
next year.
However,
there is another alternative. You can be
on perpetual holiday. Jesus’ offer of
refreshment is readily available at every moment. His, “come unto me” is not limited to one
week per year. Literally, when you feel
the weight of work and life weighing you down, you can turn to him for rest and
strength. All it requires is for you to
recognize He is there and to bring those burdens and heavy situations to Him in
prayer. Ten minutes alone with the Lord
can do for you more than a week on the beach could ever accomplish, and cost
you must less in funds and effort!
Do
you know the secret of coming to the Lord in times of heaviness and
weariness? His strength can carry you
through and give you the rest you need.
There is no limit to the times you can come. Come hourly.
Come daily. Just come!
COME
“And the Spirit and the bride say,
Come. And let him that heareth say,
Come. And whosoever will, let him take
the water of life freely.” Revelation
22:17
The
book of Revelation uses variations of the word “come” sixty one times. In Rev 1:1 it is used as “come to pass”. In
several other verses it is used as “overcometh”. In this last chapter of the
Bible it is used three times as a warning that Christ will be coming quickly
(vs. 7,, 12, 20). But here in 22:17,
along with 6:3,5,7 and 21:9, it is used as an invitation. Come – come and see, come and join in.
Just
like the invitation from Matthew 11:28, the Lord Himself is inviting all to
come. Here in Revelation 22:17 the
invitation is to partake of the water of life and it comes from the Spirit, the
bride, and those that hear the Word.
Wiersbe
says, “While we wait for the soon return of the Lord, “the Spirit of God,
through the church (the bride), calls for Jesus to come; for the bride wants to
meet her Bridegroom and enter into her home.
But believers ought also to invite lost sinners to trust Christ and
drink the water of life. Indeed, when
the church lives in expectancy of Christ’s return, such an attitude provokes
ministry and evangelism as well as purity of heart.”
It
is interesting to note that from Genesis, where he came looking for Adam and
Eve, all the way to this final few verses of God’s Word God is calling out to
man – “come”.
It
tells me that we need to be always issuing this invitation to the lost around
us. We know the end of the story, but we
also know the heart of the story – God is not willing that any should perish.
Are
you offering the invitation? Have you
received the invitation?
COME
“Come now, and let us reason
together, saith the Lord: though your
sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like
crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah
1:18
Come. NOW.
Don’t wait. This is an urgent
invitation. Israel’s sin was full. Judgment was coming. Yet, the Lord graciously offered another
opportunity to sort things out. He was
still willing to grant forgiveness if they would repent.
Repentance
was the key, but I love the way the Lord opens the way with a place of
welcome. “Come now, and let us reason
together”, he says. He isn’t standing
over them with a big stick, but standing before them with open arms. He is inviting them to the table for discussion. They will not be able to reason away their
sin, but God isn’t afraid to give them ground upon which they can enter into
dialogue with him.
This
is a good example for us in witnessing.
Approaching the lost man with a big stick does not make the gospel
inviting. His doom is sure, but we must
give him ground to enter the dialogue.
He must have a place where he can hear and see the gracious willingness
of God for his salvation. To reason
together is to use the Scripture to bring light. It is to make space for the Holy Spirit to
penetrate the soul and bring the knowledge of sin and usher in conviction.
Romans
2:4 says the “goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance”. Man’s sin is a fact; no amount of reasoning
can take that away. But sin is not a drawing card; sin separates. Goodness, reasoning, kindness, welcoming;
these are drawing cards. The Lord says
to the sinner, “Come.”
Is
that the voice your lost family and friends hear coming from you? Do you seek to show them the love of God or
the judgment of God? Are you offering them space for dialogue or shutting them
down?
COME
“…thy kingdom come…” Matthew 6:10
It
is a phrase from the Lord’s Prayer, but one reiterated throughout the
generations. “Thy kingdom come” is truly
a prayer with the future in mind. We
know from Scripture that the kingdom of God is not on this earth right now.
That blessed hope, that soul’s desire for the His kingdom, has been the prayer
of the saints. In the book of Revelation
we see the prayers of the saints used as incense and finally answered as the
deceiver of this world is cast down and judged.
Then, the kingdom of our God is totally established.
But,
what about today? As we pray, “thy
kingdom come”, can it only be used as a prayer toward the future? While this is the real intent of the phrase,
I think we can use it also as a personal challenge. As we dwell upon His kingdom and what it will
be like, we can evaluate our own hearts.
Tiegreen
sees it this way, “What is Jesus like?....He prefers forgiveness over
condemnation; He is merciful to those in all sorts of pain; He hates hypocrisy
and loves humility; He welcomes those who are honest about who they are and
honest about who He is; He does amazing works and encourages His followers to
do the same; and He loves the Word of God.”
God’s
kingdom is about all of these things and more.
As you meditate on what His kingdom will contain and then look to
measure your life by Christ’s example it challenges your motivations, your
reactions, and your service.
Ask
yourself. Does my Christian life exemplify God’s Kingdom? What do I need to alter in order to better conform
to His kingdom and the example of Jesus?
Am I truly ready for His kingdom to come?
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