Verse of the Day - Titus 2:13

...we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. ~ Titus 2:13 (NLT)

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Why do you look forward to Christ's return?

Is it so that all this mess here on earth will be finished? So you can finally be through with all of your aches and pains? So you can finally be done with all the evil in this world?

I hear a lot of people say they want to "go home", but their desires seem selfish, compared to what Paul writes in this verse. What should we really be looking forward to -- our comfort?

Actually, this thought process transcends not only how we feel about heaven and Christ's return, but about this life, too. We want comfort and security, no pain or worries, right? But that's not our purpose! Our purpose is to bring glory to God and His Son, Jesus Christ! And on that Great Day when Jesus returns, our joy and excitement should be in seeing His glory fully revealed. See, it's all about Jesus...not us. But we sure like to make it about us, don't we?

We sing songs that say "Glory to God in the highest..." and "Show me Your Glory"...and yet, is that really our highest goal? Are we desiring God to receive the full praise and honor that is due Him, as we live this life and anticipate the next? Somehow, I think that our goals often fall selfishly short of that.

Jesus laid down His honor when He chose to reveal Himself to man as a man. His goal was to save the lost at all costs. It cost Him public disgrace and severe personal pain. He hung exposed on the cross for all the masses to mock Him, taunt Him, and watch Him die a slow, agonizing death. Honor?!? How about humiliation! But He did it willingly for you and me, and we should be ever grateful for His sacrifice. We should desire to see Him high and lifted up, above all people, powers and authorities! He deserves that from us who are redeemed by His blood!

The reality is that Jesus is Lord of Lords and King of Kings, and there is no way to stop the eventual revelation of His glory when He returns to settle the score. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:11). And that is how it should be in our hearts today and every day.

It's not about us. It's about Him. Let's seek the Holy Spirit's help, to put ourselves aside and look fully into the eyes of our Lord, desiring nothing more than to see Him glorified and praised and honored. He is worthy of nothing less than that from us, the redeemed.

Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered— to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”

And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:

“Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.”
~ Revelation 5:11-13 (NLT)

Love,
Joelene