The other morning very early I woke and felt an awkwardness I cannot explain. It was not a pain or sickness rather it was just an awkwardness in my spirit. I was wide awake and went into our living room to pray. As I called out to the Lord, I was so keenly aware of His majesty and His glory. I knew then as I have always that He is God and I am not. It is about Him and not about me.
This is a concept that is foreign to those who don’t know Him as their Savior through His Son Jesus Christ. It is unfortunately also a concept which many who believe on Jesus Christ have not attained. That understanding and the acceptance of this truth is that He is God and I am not. It is about Him and not about me.
Now, that by no means concludes that I or any other believer have this all figured out. Not by a long shot and as a matter of fact the older I get the more I read, study and think about the Lord and His ways the less I know or understand. This happens when I am thinking about the Lord or praying to the Lord concerning whatever it might be that is occurring in my life or around me at that moment.
Now, that doesn't mean that we are like Saul and go to the witch at Endor to summon the dead. You might remember the events found in 1 Samuel 28 NLT. Saul and his army are under the coming attack of the Philistines. God had abandoned Saul and already anointed David as king. Saul calls out the Lord but He does not answer. So Saul decides he would seek a medium to call Samuel back from the dead to tell him what to do. A medium that Saul had banned from the land. In verses 15-19 we read-
15 “Why have you disturbed me by calling me back?” Samuel asked Saul.
“Because I am in deep trouble,” Saul replied. “The Philistines are at war with me, and God has left me and won’t reply by prophets or dreams. So I have called for you to tell me what to do.”
16 But Samuel replied, “Why ask me, since the Lord has left you and has become your enemy?
17 The Lord has done just as he said he would. He has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David.
18 The Lord has done this to you today because you refused to carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites.
19 What’s more, the Lord will hand you and the army of Israel over to the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me. The Lord will bring down the entire army of Israel in defeat.”
It seems that Samuel was certainly bothered that Saul had summoned him from the dead. Samuel indicates that Saul disturbed him. It seems that when we die and go the heaven that the last place we want to be called back to is this old earth as it is today.
Saul received his answer from Samuel that night. By the next day, Saul was dead and what he learned had become true. That night I woke up I can honestly say there was no real revelation. There was however a peace and comfort in knowing that the Lord was there for me. He made a way when from my perspective there seemed no way.
You might ask what was it that caused you to wake that night. It could have been the Lord raising me from sleep but I don't think that was what it was at all. There is so much going on in the world today that causes most of us great concern. There is a tremendous amount of intrepidation which means a nervous or fearful feeling of uncertain agitation.
I am very aware of what is happening around me and in the world. I don't want to let it consume me but I do think it is vitally important that we all are conscious of what is happening and how it affects our lives and those around us.
I cannot help but believe that Christ's return for the church is close at hand. That the Lord who knows when it will occur will instruct our Savior to come and receive His bride which is the church.
In Matthew 24 NLT Jesus speaks about His return for the church. In verses 36-39 He explains what it will look like before His return-
36 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.
37 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day.
38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat.
39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.
The most important question any person should be asking themselves is not when is Jesus coming back. It is when He does am I ready to go with Him? An even more important question is that if He comes after I die where will I be? That answer is only decided on this side of death. If you don't know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will be eternally separated from Him in hell. If you have received Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you will already be with the Lord. In 2 Corinthians 5:8 Paul told the believers in Corinth that-
...absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
Is He coming again? Well the answer is clear in Scripture that He is and that we have to decide in this life how and where we will live the next life for eternity.
In God's Grace,
Elbert Nasworthy
