This morning I was privileged to witness the miracle of new life. We would like to introduce the newest member of our barn, Daffodil. She is shown with her mother, Tulip. This is my first experience with a new baby in our barn and it is exciting. Such anticipation! We’ve been expecting to be surprised with a new kid every morning now for weeks. We had no idea when the baby was due, so we just wished and waited.
Anticipation. Have you ever noticed how much a part of anticipating an event is to the actual event itself? Waiting for something to happen, looking forward to something that you are excited about, and savoring its arrival is part of the fun. How long now have Christians anticipated the second coming of Christ? For two millennia since Christ returned to Heaven with the promise to come again we have waited, watched, and anticipated the event.
It’s not difficult to understand why you would want to have Christ return. When you read and study about His life on earth, you see the love He manifested to all and the joy He brought, not to mention the healing of all diseases and death. In fact, when He was here on earth the first time, everyone got very excited over His miracle working powers. They could rule the world if they had a healer and someone who could resurrect the dead to life. Why they could go into battle and their armies never be depleted. Just think of the possibilities?!
It sounds rather crass to think of God’s kingdom in these terms, but before we pass judgment we have to ask ourselves why we want Christ to return so badly. It is easy to look at things from a purely selfish standpoint. Of course this is natural because we are by nature self-centered. What we usually don’t consider is that the end of sin as we know it is a vindication of God’s character. It is His kingdom restored, not just our lives made easier. He will return when it is in the best interest of the whole Universe, not just ours.
We are part of a much bigger plan. It is not just about me. I think it is sometimes, but it is not. God’s eternal purposes are right on schedule. Just like nature groans with the weight of pregnancy and when the time is ripe the gift of new life comes, so will the coming of Christ’s kingdom be. The Bible has a wonderful phrase that is repeated over and over—“In the fullness of time…” That means that when the time is right, Christ will come again.
In the meantime, I have a lot of growing and learning to do. My education will last for eternity anyway, so rather than wait until the sweet by and by I think I’ll get started right now learning about the heart of God, learning the lessons that are put before me each day, and learning to love all that God has made. Remember, anticipation is a part of the journey and a good part at that. Rather than pine that you don’t see everything fulfilled the way you think it should be, enjoy the journey and know that God is always on time!