Daily Devotional for Saturday, December 3

Jesus’ Return from Heaven

Most people live in anticipation of something. When we are young, we anticipate growing up. As we work, we anticipate promotions and raises. Families anticipate their annual vacations. Few things are as uplifting as a child buzzing with anticipation of something as simple as the coming of Christmas. The joy is pure and inspiring.
We as Christians have the most wonderful thing of all to anticipate, and that is the return of our Lord Jesus Christ to finally bring us home. Oddly, few of us anticipate that with the pure and inspiring joy we ought to. Most of us plod through this life in anticipation of the same things as everyone else. This ought not to be so.
In a day that all believers should rejoice in even before it happens, Jesus will come back in all of His glory. All those who believe will rejoice in that glory and reflect it back to the One who glorified us. Those words, “all…that believe,” matter a lot. Only those who believe will bask in the glory given by Jesus Christ. As we see in verse 8, not all will get to do that. Because Jesus is also coming “in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
So, this day will be joyful for those who believe, and sad and horrible for those who do not. Can we make a difference in how this turns out for people? Absolutely, we can. Our passage tells us how. Others believe because of our testimony. Do we have one? Do we share it if we do?

JUST A THOUGHT: Everyone will account for his decision to accept
or reject Jesus’ gift of salvation.

Wally Fry