This week in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus gives some sobering admonition about living in light of “the day when the Son of Man is revealed (Luke 17:30).” It will be a day of judgment and blessing; a day of dread or delight depending upon how each person stands in relation to Christ. As His disciples, that Day should dramatically influence how we live each and every day. Consider Paul’s perspective.
“One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:13-14).”
Our dog Shiloh is a puller. As soon as the leash is on for a walk he’s dragging us out the front door and down the sidewalk, literally gasping for breath as he strains forward to the walk that lies ahead. And he never has a clue what lies ahead!
We do. Grace lies ahead. “Immeasurable riches of grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:7). Christ lies ahead. So, “Preparing our minds for action, and being sober-minded, we’re to set our hope fully on the grace that will be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13).”
As we prepare to gather to worship this Sunday and consider this great Day ahead, we should be asking ourselves, “What word would best describe the way in which I am walking by faith and living for that Day?” Are you straining forward? Sauntering? Coasting? Standing still? Drifting? Wandering? Turning back?
“Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it (Luke 17:32-33).”
This Sunday Randy Gruendyke will be preaching Luke 17:20-37 and Kenny Clark will be leading our sung worship. Would you pray for each as they prepare? And let’s take up 1 Peter 1:13 as a prayer for one another, that the Spirit would help us set our hope more fully on the grace that will be brought to us on that Day.
See you Sunday, Grace. Come hungry!
SONG OF THE WEEK
Righteous One by Songs of Grace
Soon He’ll return to rule and reign
When this earth He’ll then reclaim
And we will shout this glad refrain,
“Hallelujah!”
The blood-bought saints then standing tall
Will at the feet of Jesus fall
And God will be our All in all
Hallelujah!