Advent Day 3: Hunger for Christ’s Return

On the day He returns, rocks will prostrate, valleys rise up to meet His feet, and Alpine peaks bow down. The landscape will heal and surge and a highway will roll out a red carpet. The Savior will set the pads of his feet on our thirsty land once again.

 

And it can’t come soon enough.

 

When Eve grasped her own mistaken “wisdom,” she took a great big bite of abused freedom.  With that one bite she chose a twisted existence for the slowly turning earth.

 

Free-will spilled out a cursed libation into the garden and the ground drank it up deep, choked and absorbed death.

 

The earth tells of the glory of God, yes, but it also speaks in the dark tones of death.  The recent Typhoon that smacked against the Philippines is just one such example.

 

When Christ pads his feet upon the earth again, the Kingdom of God will spread slowly over the earth. CS Lewis gives us an example of Christ’s second coming in Aslan returning to Narnia: “When Aslan Bears his teeth winter meets its death. When he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.”

 

In the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, winter melts and spring flowers bloom all in obedience to Love walking the earth.

 

And this is what I am watching the horizon for.

We’ve been in Winter so long we’ve started blaming the King for the curse.

 

Confusion rifles deep and the church has twisted theology for so long the thirsty can’t find water.

 

God doesn’t create earthquakes, will cancer or lay down and accept death as a part of life.  God has three enemies: sin, death and the devil.

 

It’s the classic problem of evil. How do we have a good God side by side with a sin-drenched, corroded world? The church is not doing anyone any favors (especially the confused peering in the door), pretending like the enemies of God are a gift.

 

After wrestling for years with anger from an innocence taken away too young I am quick to clarify this theology.  I do not believe this abuse came from God. He never wills or ordains or “allows” evil…oh no…but He can redeem it.

 

We are free to get angry at the effects of sin, weep over the chained people, the full casket. Reviled, we can stare the curse in the face and beg Him to… come…back.

 

Come Lord Jesus, come.

 

Yet even now we are not left orphans, hopeless.

 

Redemption is coming and spring spreads backwards from the resurrection. We are living in the now and the not yet, the here and the soon coming. Victory has conquered Evil at the cross, and soon our God will assign it to its own annihilation.

 

Soon the Kingdom will spread, seep down deep into the ground and then in worship the very earth will rise up, the crooked will straighten and the crests bow down ready to receive its King’s victorious procession.

 

And now I lift up my heart, my crooked paths, the sin-drenched rocky ground deep within and beg Him to come this Christmas to redeem my ground.  Come Lord Jesus and start here.

 

I stand up, stretch out my hand, look firm into the darkness and proclaim:

 

Every Valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight and the rough places plain.
(Isaiah 40:1-4)

 

This aria sung by Richard Croft from Handel’s Messiah is a fascinating dramatic illustration of this Scripture. Don’t turn away too soon or you’ll miss the gift.

Dear friend, journey with us? Together lets come to the well and drink of Scripture, Handel’s soaring melodies and Deb Howard’s photography. (Yes, that’s my beautiful sister- in- law on her front page!) We are on a pilgrimage to the manger. Don’t miss a turn on the road. Slip your email into the CONNECT box (btw, I would never allow anyone else to gain access to your personal email address) on the front page here at A Thirst for God and it will appear fresh each morning.