Expecting Jesus

Any moment now, I'm expecting Jesus . . . are you?

We can find ourselves shut up in our sorrows, prisoners of our pain, and held up in our hopelessness . . . we want OUT! Though we're trusting God is doing a "good" work in us through it all, we just want Him to deliver us from the "shadow of death" (Psalm 23) and lead us to green meadows and quiet waters. Yet, as times goes on, doubt fills us and faith gets pushed out. We find ourselves pondering:

Is God really working in my circumstances? 
Is Jesus' victory really for me? 
Can He really deliver me in this situation? 

We find ourselves consumed with despair, when we can't "see" a way out or a way forward in our situation. None of it makes sense and we simply can't grasp even a glimmer of hope. Yet, we forget that Jesus himself is our hope. Truth is truth. 

"God wanted his people throughout
the world to know the glorious riches
of this mystery-which is
Christ living in you,
giving you the hope of glory."
Colossians 1:27

We can't forget in our fears what we know in through our faith. Here's what we can hold onto: At some point, in the midst of our trial, when God sees perfectly fit, Jesus will step into the doorway of our life and onto the scene of our circumstances. The sorrow and suffering we endure will be changed in an instant. In fact, it will seem to disappear almost imperceptably. We, in an instant, will be freed from the trial that torments us. The risen Christ will, in all His glory, move on our behalf.

But, we can't see that anything is going on. We're on "this side" of the stone, He's on the other. It SEEMS that all hope is gone. It appears that NOTHING is happening. But, He is writing His story into your own . . . the stone IS being rolled away. He promises that if we'll act in faith, He will bring His plan to completion . . . and His plans are for GOOD. He's asking you to step out with greater faith than you ever have before. He's asking you to trust Him fully, even when He's not visibly by your side and continually speaking to your Spirit. His silence is not His solution. He is faithful. He wants you to be expecting Him.

Jesus knew He'd be coming to you in your life, but He asked the question that should convict us every single moment of our life:

"But when the Son of Man returns,
how many on earth will he find
that have faith?"
Luke 18:8

The question wasn't for Him. And Jesus never spoke without reason. The question is for us. When He steps through the door of our life, when we're crying out for deliverance, will He find faith?

In our times of doubt, and in the depths of our pain, we can grab hold of Truth:

He is our strength:
"but those who hope in the Lord 
will renew their strength." 
(Isaiah 40:31)

He is our courage:
"Be strong and of good courage . . .
the Lord your God, He is with you . . .
He will not leave you or forsake you."
(Deuteronomy 31:6)

He is our hope:
"Put your hope in God!"
(Psalm 42:5)

He is EVERYTHING we need:
"And my God will meet ALL your needs
according to His riches and glory
in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 4:19)

We need to be expecting Jesus to walk through the door of our trial. We need to be assured that He'll show up, when the time is right. We need to place our total trust in His Word and His faithfulness . . . He has promised to bless us for doing so. And the whole world will notice the power of Christ in our lives as they witness hope alive in us, and as they are awed by our quiet trust . . . and it's only because we know one thing:


The stone is being rolled away.


Jesus is about to walk right through 
the door of your sorrow and bring new hope.
You're about to be delivered . . . and 
it's into your eyes He'll look and say,



"Put your finger here, and look at my hands.
Take your hand, and put it into my side.
Stop doubting, and believe."
(John 20:27)