Now and Not Yet

When I asked the youth yesterday in Sunday School what the best gift they had ever gotten for Christmas was, my friend Kira had a problem. See she knows what she's getting for Christmas this year, a new state of the art iPod touch ("with two cameras!"). It's already been purchased. But she doesn't have it yet.

Still, it's what she wanted to claim as her best Christmas present ever.

I can feel her pain. As I read the Scripture opening the season of Advent yesterday from Isaiah chapter 2, there was so much there that I wanted NOW.

2 There's a day coming when the mountain of God's House Will be The Mountain— solid, towering over all mountains. All nations will river toward it, people from all over set out for it. 3 They'll say, "Come, let's climb God's Mountain, go to the House of the God of Jacob. He'll show us the way he works so we can live the way we're made." Zion's the source of the revelation. God's Message comes from Jerusalem. 4 He'll settle things fairly between nations. He'll make things right between many peoples. They'll turn their swords into shovels, their spears into hoes. No more will nation fight nation; they won't play war anymore. 5 Come, family of Jacob, let's live in the light of God.

Isaiah 2:2-5 (MSG)

Almost every day of my life opens with a prayer for God to come and put things right - for people to come to know Jesus as Savior - for peace. And though God has given me so much - so many blessings - even though I know that Jesus will come and do everything this passage says, chances are that I'll awaken tomorrow with the same hopes to pray.

It's life living in the now and not yet.

So what should we do - today?

"Come, family of Jacob, let's live in the light of God."

We face life together as the people of God - as family bound by blood.

We LIVE! Not fearfully or anxiously - we know the outcome - we win!

We follow Jesus as the Spirit leads "in the light of God."

I'm looking forward to seeing Kira's face after Christmas as she proudly shows me her new toy. But as cool as that might seem now, what Kira's going to receive one day from her God (what we all will receive as believers) is so much better it boggles the mind and warms my heart.

Come join us as we live out Advent at New Hope in the "now and not yet."