Getting Hungry for that day.

“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy…be glory, majesty, power and authority…”

That is how Jude closed his epistle. Out of all of the things that have compelled my heart to love God in the moment, this is one that will never spoil or fade. One for which I hope for and is promised to me, yet will I never recieve till I die. It is the faintly visible truth that I, wretched one that I was, will indeed stand before God as His righteous one. Sometimes it is too wonderful for me to understand. But never does it fail to frustrate my enemies. Being in a constant reflection of that day is what it means for me to abide in the Spirit. I’d ask you to picture it but our imaginations can be a hit or miss type of thing. So, consider this parable instead…

There was once a man, the leader of nations, who was righteous and benevolent, intelligent and creative, compassionate and awesomely powerful. Yet, because he was so different, this man was utterly despised by all people. Every child, man, and woman created reasons to hold offense against him. Out of love and respect for their dignity, he resigned himself to provide, protect, and guide these people from behind the scenes. Many convinced themselves he never existed, others claimed to know him personally, yet distorted who he really was. Oh, but this man had a plan to never be alone. He had his eye on a particular woman. This woman was meant to be something beautiful, he could tell. She had some twisted remnants of the same qualities that he found within himself. The very ones that made him love her. So, this man chose her out of the world and set in motion a costly plan to make her ready for marriage. He told her his plan, many others heard of it as well. In fact, over time it became a laughingstock as her ugliness and immaturity were seen by all. What people couldn’t see, and even the woman herself had difficulty grasping, was that the man had already completed his work. The regeneration of this woman’s heart and body was like a slowly unfolding chemical reaction. Difficult to see, but impossible to stop. Then, on a day like any other, he appeared with his bride. Every mouth was shut up. Shock filled every mind. There she stood, as gorgeous as can be. And there he was, majestically full of joy. No one, absolutely no one could help but be impressed by what they saw.

That day is coming, brothers and sisters. We are the bride of Christ and we WILL be made worthy by his blood. Do whatever it takes to get hungry for that day when even demons will give God honor and glory for what they see. Shake things up, add a catalyst, stir, fan the gift into flame. And, keep reminding each other of our wedding day.

-John B