Jesus is returning “to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you...” 2 Thess. 1:10
Lord Jesus, I love marveling—to be stopped “dead in my tracks,” filled with awe, gawking with wonder, silenced by greatness, shouting with gladness… sometimes alone, preferably with friends.
I’ve had significant micro-experiences of this kind of marvel. The first week Darlene and I spent a week in Iseltwald, Switzerland. Four-wheeling, fly-fishing, Gospel-soaking with friends in Montana. They have been more. There will be more.
All of these experiences are “micro,” based on this one verse from the Apostle Paul. They’re hints, whispers, and firstfruits of our coming life in the new heaven and new earth. What’s going to happen the 1st nanosecond we see you at your return? What’s going make heaven heavenly, and eternity eternally exhilarating? It’s you, Jesus. You are the marvel in marvelous. We will finally and fully realize that.
You will be glorified in us—that is, you will transform us to be completely like yourself. It will be impossible for us to ever sin again. Our sinless-wholeness will be manifest most clearly in our marvel-fullness of you, Jesus.
And to think, ponder, and realize… we’ll be marveling at you forever in places that are dear to us now. You aren’t going to destroy or replace this world, but transform it. What will a glorified Switzerland, Montana—even North Carolina, be like?
And (Hallelujah!) our marveling will be a “we,” not just “me,” forever feast. Friends and family precious to us now, and the 99.99% of our Gospel-family we’ll only meet then—make perfect in love, made fully like you. Soon, please, Jesus. So Very Amen.
