By David ReayFriday 15 Nov 2019LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 2 minutes
You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever. (NLT)
We live in the in-between times, between the first and second comings of Jesus. He came once to announce the inauguration of his sovereign rule over all things and all people. He will come again to put it all into place. Till then, we live with both the hope of better things and our sometimes painful experience of present things.
This doesn’t mean we sit on our hands waiting for heaven. If we see eternal life as something resembling a feast or a party, we get ready for it now. While God’s rule is not yet complete, we play our part in extending it and living it out.
Just because it will only be experienced in its fullness sometime in the future doesn’t mean there can be no experience of it now. Just because that special celebration is not till tomorrow doesn’t mean I can’t prepare for it and joyfully anticipate it today.
One day all will be well, all will be as God originally intended it to be. Evil and injustice and hatred may be evident now but one day will not even be a memory. God will win. In fact, he has already won but his enemies will not yet concede defeat.
Life for us is therefore uncomfortable at times. We live in the now, and live in the not yet. The banquet is being made ready. We play our part in getting it ready by living out God’s rule in our own lives. But for now, we have but a taste. One day, we will have the lot.
Blessings
David