Tomorrow,
We Celebrate
Some time ago, a story on
television caught my attention. The program was
showing an interview of an elderly man who had just been saved from a
mishap
at sea. Freshly fished from the frigid waters at the brink of
death, he was cold,
bedraggled, and in need of medical attention. But as he
peered
out from under the snug warmth of the hospital blankets, he beamed with
relief and elation.
A younger man briefly quizzed
him about his ordeal. As the interview
concluded, the young man reached out and tenderly patted the old
survivor as
if to quiet and reassure him.
"Tomorrow, you celebrate," the
young man ordered. "Today... you rest."
Watching the spectacle unfold
on the screen, it occurred to me that those
words were pretty profound. Let's face it - life is an
ordeal. Peril awaits us at
every turn. Over and over again, we wind up in the briny deep
waters of our
own making... and even in a few we didn't cause.
Life is hard, we learn, and
then we die.
But like the old man in the
sea, we have
someone searching for us. This faithful Savior and Deliverer
awaits our desperate cries for help. He always hears our
prayers.
And He always comes.
One day, this awful struggle will be
over.
One day, Jesus will return and take us to our real home. On
that
day, the celebration will be incredible. I plan on
celebrating
for a very long time. Eternity will do nicely.
Until then, we rest.
We lean on the One
who delivered us from certain death as we rest from our own
works. We gladly reach up for our Rescuer and
cease to struggle against sin in our own strength. The storms
of life are not so
fearsome when viewed from the distance of His enveloping love.
Thank God that it is not up to
us to fix
anything or save anyone, including ourselves.
With our eyes
lifted toward the future, we
wait.
Tomorrow we
celebrate. Today, we
rest.
-PFT |
Then they cried to the LORD in
their trouble,
And He brought them out of their distresses.
He caused the storm to be still,
So that the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad
because they were quiet;
So He guided them to their desired haven.
Psalm 108:28-30
|
 |
Come to Me, all who are weary and
heavy
laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 |
|
