resilience | lent devotions

“Behold, I am coming soon, and I shall bring My wages and rewards with Me, to repay and render to each one just what his own actions and his own work merit.” Revelation 22:12, AMPC

Box sets. Which genius came up with the idea of streaming every episode of every series of a show on demand? Someone recommends a new show. You try it, you get hooked, and you never have to wait for the next episode. Until, of course you watch the penultimate series. You’re left with a cliff hanger, there’s another series coming but it hasn’t been released yet and you won’t find out what happens until it airs sometime next year. Then, it’s not so great. Someone else has decided it’s time to put things on hold. To press pause for a while.

And, I don’t know about you, but I’m not very good at waiting. I like to get things done, see results, keep moving. I love an imminent deadline... Pausing isn’t a great option for me.

Which is a challenge because you and I are in the middle of - very possibly - the longest ever pause between series instalments. We live in the pause between Jesus coming the first time and Jesus coming again. A pause every New Testament writer thought would be over quickly. A pause that, so far, has lasted more than 2000 years. We need resilience to live well in this season because it’s tempting to ask, “What’s keeping Jesus?”

But maybe that’s not the crucial question. Maybe the question should be “What’s the best thing I can do while I’m waiting? How do I live well in the pause? How do I prepare for a King I know is coming back, I just don't know when…?

Let’s pray
Even though I don’t understand the bigger picture, even though I don’t know what you are doing and when you're coming back I will stay faithful to you, Lord. Teach me how to live well through every pause I face. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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