If advertising on television means anything it seems Christmas shopping has begun. At least the merchants hope it has begun. When I was a little guy our evening newspaper did a Christmas shopping days countdown on the front page. I loved it because as the numbers grew smaller Christmas grew closer. Anticipation was incredibly exciting.
In I Peter 1 we find the following wonder. “Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven-and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all-life healed and whole.” *
Sometimes I think it would grand if we had a countdown to the day when we will have life healed and whole. In a way we do have a countdown. It’s called ageing. Every birthday takes us a giant step forward. We shouldn’t dread birthdays. The promises are true. We should have the same excited anticipation we had as children counting down days ’til Christmas. Let’s start enjoying the brand-new life we have already received. The future starts now.
I remember my mother putting presents on layaway at a downtown department store. Every two weeks she would ride the bus into the city to make payments on them. The presents were ours. She kept careful watch over them to make sure on December 24 all would be paid and she could bring them home. The future started when she started making those payments. Our future began at the payment on the Cross. There was only one payment. It was \ enough for all the sins of the whole world.
*The Message Paraphrase
Written by Roger Bothwell on November 3, 2009
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org