One Thing Only

Psalm 27

Last weekend all eyes were on the world of college football in Columbus, Ohio. Saturday night the Buckeyes made their case for getting into the College Football Playoff by defeating the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten Championship game.

The waiting began for the Buckeye nation shortly after midnight when the game was over. Through the night the committee of thirteen people diligently hashed out what schools would be in the 4-team playoff… and who would not.

Finally, at noon on Sunday, the 4-hour announcement program began. Four 4 more hours! Unbelievable! But about an hour into the show, after tolerating the talking heads as they blabbed on about nothing, it was finally announced.

The wait had been excruciating… as all waiting is. We don’t like to wait do we? We

want what we want, when we want it. We don’t like the thought of waiting for someone else to have control over some part of our life.

According to my NIV study Bible, “David knew from experience what it meant to wait for the Lord. He had been anointed king at age 16, but didn’t become king until age 30. During the interim, he was chased through the wilderness by King Saul. Later, he was chased by his son Absalom.” Yet David waited patiently for the Lord.

¹⁴ Wait patiently for the Lord.
    Be brave and courageous.
    Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.          NLT

What gave David such confidence and contentment during these difficult times? For David, there was one thing only. For him, waiting patiently was directly proportionate to seeking the Lord and being in His presence.

⁴ One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple… ⁶ Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me…           NIV

Ultimately, the Buckeyes couldn’t count on the committee. But you can always count on the Lord! He may not always give us what we want, when we want it. But He is always with you. He loves you deeply and unconditionally. He is always faithful to His word. And you can take that to the playoffs every time.

The Shuot of Victory

Revelation 19:6-8

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2019%3A6-8&version=NIV;NASB;NLT

 

⁶ Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder…     NLT

 

This verse reminds me of a Buckeye game I went to years ago. The opposing team, which happened to be the team I was routing for, had marched the length of the field. There were only seconds left in the first half. A touchdown would give us the lead, and a decided edge going into the second half.

 

With the momentum and the ball, we were at the closed end of the Shoe. As my team came to the line of scrimmage, the crescendo of the crowd noise was deafening. The ball was snapped; a pass floated into the flat; and a Buckeye intercepted it and ran for a touchdown. That was the game. A shout rose from the stadium to celebrate the victory.

 

Another joyous occasion is a wedding. The bride, and oftentimes her mother, spend months in preparation for the momentous occasion. A dress must be picked; colors chosen; flowers ordered; a meal planned. The details of preparing for an event like this can become overwhelming at times.

 

But it’s all worth it on the day of the wedding, as people smile broadly at the bride as she walks down the aisle to the traditional music of the Bridal Chorus. Songs are sung, words are proclaimed, vows are taken, the bride and groom kiss and are presented as the new couple. The people rejoice.

 

The victorious shout of a vast crowd and the smiles and tears of a wedding, celebrate temporal events that dot our lives with joy and meaning. However, John is writing about something not temporal, but eternal. The celebration of the wedding of the Lamb of God (Jesus) and his bride (the church), who has prepared herself.

 

“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.

⁷ Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” ⁸ It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.        NASB

 

The Lord is with us always. He loves us and is always at work in our lives. He is

sovereign. He is victorious over death and still reigns. Can you hear the shout of victory? Can you see the Lamb of God waiting for his bride?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What are Your Expectations?

“Seated in authority with Jesus”

Matthew 20:20-28

 

There was a recent Columbus Dispatch article about all of the Ohio State football players that are expected to be drafted in the National Football League. There are a total of fourteen Buckeyes, with six of them expected to go in the first round, which would tie a record. Those are pretty lofty expectations.

 

When I asked Jesus into my life in the summer of 1970, I expected that life would be a spiritual mountaintop experience from then on. In the fall of 1974 when I got married, I expected to have the perfect marriage. We all have expectations of our spouse, our children, our work and our life. And in reality, those expectations are what we expect from Jesus.

 

James and John also had lofty expectations. They wanted to sit by Jesus in his kingdom on his left and on his right. After all, they had given up the family fishing business when they responded to Jesus’ call to follow him. No doubt this was a huge economic, social and relationship sacrifice.

 

As a result, they expected something in return. I scratch your back, you scratch mine... Expectations. What’s even more amazing is that they asked for this “favor” shortly after Jesus had announced his death and resurrection for the third time. Could Jesus’ closest followers actually be this dull, this ignorant?

 

“Listen to me carefully. We are on our way up to Jerusalem. When we get there, the Son of Man will be betrayed to the religious leaders and scholars. They will sentence him to death. They will then hand him over to the Romans for mockery and torture and crucifixion. On the third day he will be raised up alive.”      MSG

 

This statement seems pretty clear to me. The disciples heard what they wanted to hear; what they hoped to hear; what they expected to hear. Expectations and hope go hand in hand.

 

What are your expectations of Jesus? What do you hope to get from him? A job, a spouse or children without issues? A life without tragedies or without struggles? What can you realistically expect?

 

The Bible tells us that what you can expect from Jesus is that he will be faithful. He

will be with you always, and never leave you no matter what you do or what is happening in your life. He will always love you and be at work in your life to draw you closer to him, and to use you in the lives of others.

 

That’s an expectation that you can count on.

 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2020%3A20-28&version=NIV;MSG
https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Matt.20.20-Matt.20.28