2 Timothy 4
In some ways time seems to stand still
for long periods of time, and then you look around and it appears that everything
has changed. The children have grown,
they’ve graduated, gotten married and had children of their own. Your parents have gotten old, perhaps
downsized from the house you grew up in, perhaps moved in with you, perhaps
moved into a retirement community, or perhaps even died and gone home to be
with Jesus. Through all of this, your
internal view of yourself tends to stay pretty similar and you inwardly feel
like you haven’t changed … until you stand in a mirror and see there the white
hairs mixed in with the dark, observe the lines on your face, and feel the aches
and pains of a body growing older. It is
a shock, but one that we really ought to expect, after all, “time and tide wait
for no man.”
Paul confronted Timothy with this
reality of time taking its toll in 2 Timothy 4. He recognized that his ministry is coming to
an end, his time was nearly up so he penned these poignant words, “For I
am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of
my departure has come. I have fought the good
fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth
there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only
to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
A major piece of our hope as Christians
facing the ravages of time is that time itself will end. A day will come when Jesus will return to
judge the living and the dead. Some will
respond in terror at His coming. They
will recognize that their rejection of Jesus and their hopes in other gods
(money, comfort, happiness, Allah, etc.) were in vain. The only hope against time’s assault on our
bodies is to be raised with an immortal body, and Jesus is the only one who can
give such a gift.
For us who have put our hope in Jesus,
the one who was crucified for our sins and raised for our salvation, His return
will signal that our time of trial is over.
Eternal life is at hand and the burden of living as sinners in a sinful
world is about to be cast aside! What a
glorious moment that will be! This gives
us reason to endure, to walk faithfully in this world, sharing the hope we have
so others can greet that day with joy, just as we will.
Lord Jesus, come quickly and set all things
right. Amen.
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