Welcome Him – December 5, 2019

[Jesus said] “About that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.”
Matthew 24:36-41

Welcome Him

Near the end of the first Iraq War, Air Force pilot Robby Robbins received permission to fly home. He flew across the Atlantic, landed on United States soil, and drove all night to his Pennsylvania home. His arrival was supposed to be a surprise. But when he pulled into his driveway just after sunrise, Robbins saw a large banner hanging across the garage. The sign read, “Welcome Home, Dad!”

Robbins walked into the house. His children, half-ready for school, greeted him with squeals. His wife came running down the hall—hair done, make-up on, wearing a fresh yellow dress.

“How did you know?” Robbins asked.

“I didn’t. We kept listening to the news. When we saw that the war was almost over, we knew you’d be home soon. We knew you would want to surprise us, so we were ready every day.”

When Jesus returns, he won’t be crossing the sea or driving across the country. Swiftly and suddenly, he will sweep aside the heavens and snatch up his family to reunite with them in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever.

Jesus is coming! We don’t know when that will be, but we want to be prepared every day. Like Noah, we trust the good news of God’s rescue plan. As we rely on the perfection of Jesus, repent of our sins, and rejoice in his forgiveness, we will be ready to welcome him.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I don’t know when you will come but comfort me with the knowledge that you will take me to heaven to be with you forever. Amen.