WE AWAIT JESUS' COMING
By A. W. Tozer
"By now it was dark;" the Scriptures say, "and Jesus had not yet joined them:" For the church of Jesus Christ, it was dark in the first and second centuries, and Jesus did not come. It was dark in the days of Constantine; it was dark when Bernard of Clairvaux lived; it was dark when Martin Luther preached. It was dark when John Wesley stood on the tombstone to preach; it was dark when George Fox walked the hills and vales of England. And in all that time Jesus did not come. It is still dark, and we still wait. We do not want to admit that we are disappointed, but we are, nevertheless!
As the wind rose and the tempest in its fury tossed their ship, no doubt the disciples on the Sea of Galilee cried out, "Where are you, Lord?" And the church of Jesus Christ, caught in a moral tempest that threatens to tear it apart, makes the same plea. Thank God, we have Christ's assurance that "the gates of Hades will not overcome" His church. Churches may die, but the church still lives. The church of Jesus Christ, composed of all the people of God, shall never perish!
I remind you that Jesus Christ is still Lord. He is still the head of His Body, the church. We do not have to apologize for Him. He does not want us to soften His gospel to make it more acceptable to the world. He is not looking for us to defend Him, to argue on His behalf.
His eyes see through the darkness. He holds the church in the hollow of His hand even while it is being tossed on the wild sea.
And just as He left the mountain at the proper time, miraculously walking on the water to join His struggling disciples, so He will return from heaven to gather us up and bring us home.
He is not here yet, but He is coming! We do not know when He will come within hailing distance, but we know He will come at just the right time. His love and His keen interest in His people will not permit Him to remain away longer than necessary.
Let us not be fearful. The Savior is walking on the sea. He is coming our way. Though it is dark and the winds blow strong, our little ship is on its way home!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Yours in Christ,
Paul N. F.