That Great and Glorious Day - Daily Treasure - June 15

That Great and Glorious Day

Chuck and Sharon W. Betters

TODAY’S TREASURE

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another (Job 19:25-27).

Years ago, Cal Ripken of the Baltimore Orioles was honored for breaking a record few imagined would ever be broken: Lou Gehrig’s record for playing the most consecutive ball games. The game scheduled for that day was interrupted in order to honor the new “iron man” of baseball for his many years of devotion to the sport. Fans, players, and umpires screamed and yelled in unison when the new record became official in the fifth inning, and Ripken was coaxed by his teammates and fans to circle the field. He jumped above the outfield wall and “high-fived” the fans. He was carried on the shoulders of his fellow players, who later prodded him out of the dugout for yet another “victory lap.” Ripken waved from a convertible that circled the field. Even the members of the opposing team stood starry-eyed and applauded his every move; they, too, were pleased to honor this great ballplayer.

The cheering lasted for more than twenty minutes. It was impossible even to hear the announcers, who finally gave up, themselves overcome with emotion. Although we were moved by this celebration on television, we began to imagine another celebration, a far more significant one. We glanced at each other for a moment, just long enough to confirm the inner thoughts of our souls. In that passing glance, we knew we were both thinking the same thing: If this moment in baseball history could move us in this way, what will the wonder and glory of Jesus’ return be like? The incredible adulation for this one ballplayer was but a poor shadow of what awaits us in heaven when the wedding feast finally begins, when the Lord welcomes us home.

The remarkable men and women of Hebrews 11, people who pleased God by persevering in their faith, did not live to see the Messiah fulfill the promise of redemption, but they never gave up believing that He would one day come. Even the book of Job, believed by many scholars to be the oldest of all the books in the Bible, reveals an unswerving confidence in this great Redeemer and in the resurrection He would bring. Despite his terrible suffering and his questioning, Job was unshakable in his faith:

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another (Job 19:25–27).

LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT

Now that the Messiah has come, we also wait to experience the promise of eternal life with the family of God. But the ultimate fulfillment of that promise will not come until the last child of God has come into fellowship with Christ. God will not begin the great celebration until all of His children have responded to the finished work of redemption.

We must remember, even in our pain, the greater vision. In our own grief for our son, it was difficult to see that greater vision. But God has taught us His love for His people is even greater than our love for our son. He longs for His lost children to come home, too. It is left for us to bring His words of hope to lost and hurting and sometimes even defiant people. That difficult coworker beside you each day may be destined for heaven and perhaps, in some mysterious way known only to our Lord, you will be the one to tell that person about Christ. We often pray our loved ones will come to faith; yet too seldom do we think that we, in turn, might be part of the answer to someone else’s prayer, someone who is hoping against hope that their friend or son or sister will meet a faithful believer, someone just like you. Are you yielded? Are your eyes open to the needs around you? Can God use you to help bring His lost children home?

PRAYER

Lord, is there someone praying for a Christian to connect with my neighbor, co-worker, friend? Am I your chosen conduit to reflect Jesus and the glory of Your love? Open my eyes and heart to the grand adventure of being the answer to those prayers.

I hope these devotionals will whet your appetite and encourage you to dig deep into Hebrews 11 on your own.   They are adapted with permission from P&R Publishing. P&R is offering Treasures of Faith for $3.00 each! And the Leader’s Guide for $2.00. 

Supplies are limited.

More free resources for help hope & healing:

Treasures of Encouragement, Women Helping Women 

By Sharon W. Betters

Treasuresofencouragement.org Learn how God sends treasures of encouragement to help turn hearts toward Jesus and how the beauty, privilege, and power of biblical encouragement is a means to invite others to trust the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness in the mundane moments and especially in the broken places of life. Free supplemental resources.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.

For more from Daily Treasure please visit MARKINC.ORG.