“God hasn’t appointed us for wrath, but to receive for salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that whether we are awake or ‘asleep’ we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1Thess.5:9–11)
Merciful Father, there are some appointments we dread like the black plague, others we tolerate like a root canal, others we celebrate as the highlight of our week. But there is one appointment on the books that we’re looking forward to with mounting joy and with exponential gratitude.
In your sovereign grace and quintessential kindness, you’ve booked your children for the Day of fullness of our salvation. On the perfectly timed Day, you will perfect your work in us and throughout all creation. Hallelujah for the one appointment written with the ink of grace by your loving hand on the only calendar that really matters—the book of life.
And you did it all, Abba, so that whether we are “awake or asleep”—alive or dead—we might live with you. Not just live in heaven—but that we might enjoy a relationship of perfect intimacy with you. That you desire us is overwhelming, but that you actually delight in us 10,000 times more overwhelming.
Because Jesus fulfilled his “appointment” to be the sin-bearing Lamb of God and our righteousness-giving Savior, your love for us is more certain than any other appointment on our calendar. Astonishing—Jesus took the wrath deserve to give us the grace we could never earn. Hallelujah!
Abba, in light of this good news and unbreakable appointment, ignite within each of us a passion and commitment to encourage each other more and more and more. May we heap 10 times more encouragement on each other than whines and worries, judgments and criticisms. Building up, not tearing down, is the way of the Gospel. Yea, Verily, and So Very Amen.
