As You See the Day Drawing Near

Hope is powerful. It propels an athlete through intense training. It fuels a violinist through hours of practice. It enables a student to prioritize studying over playing. It allows us to get up in the morning to live a whole new day. Viktor Frankl observed in the Nazi concentration camps that those who survived the longest weren’t the most physically capable. Rather, it was those who had hope. Hope is powerful. Yet, it can be fleeting. It can erode. It can collapse.

How can we get enduring hope? It must have meaning and purpose that is rooted in truth. And the believer in Jesus Christ has hope to the superlative degree. It is hope that is based on the promise of God in Jesus Christ. It goes beyond the temporal realm of today into a perfect existence with our Lord in His kingdom for eternity. It is the hope of fully realizing the gospel, available to anyone who will trust in Jesus Christ by faith.

We see this hope as the very ground for persevering in community. Let’s recount Hebrews 10:24-25, “24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Notice how v. 25 ends, “encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” What is this Day? It is the second and last appearing of Jesus Christ who brings the fullness of salvation for those who believe in Him. Each day that passes brings us closer to that Day. Jesus will return. He will usher in the completeness of His Kingdom. And believers will be made new. New in a physical sense of having a perfect glorified body. New in an emotional sense of experiencing the fullness of how life ought to be lived with complete joy and contentment. New in a spiritual sense of never having to battle with the fleshly appetites again, leaving only unhindered worship to the Lord.

Each passing day reminds us of that Day drawing near. Let us meditate on this truth. And so let us live with purpose and meaning that is rooted in this enduring hope. What is one action item we can consider in light of this? Please consider joining a small group! Even with the challenges of the pandemic, even when discouragement abounds, we can gather with others because of our enduring hope in Jesus. And so live with great purpose: And let us consider how to stir up on another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Amen.