Devotional - 99-11-01 - Getting Carded

Isaiah 65:17, "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to heart."

This past weekend I went to my first Christian music concert in over eight years. I'm not a big participator in the popular Christian culture so I was very curious about what I might find at a contemporary Christian music concert. It was a wonderful experience.

The performer was a guy named Michael Card. I have enjoyed listening to his CD's for many years and it was a privilege to see him perform live. At one point in the show he moved to the piano and had the audience join him in singing a couple of hymns. The first one I was familiar with and could sing, but the second I had heard before, but did not know.

As much of the audience sang this second hymn I felt a little ashamed that I was so ignorant of something that, apparently, many others knew. I love to sing hymns and fancy myself a student of them. As I closed my eyes and listened to the beautiful sound of hundreds of voices praising God, I thought, "Someday it will be different. Someday, I will know all the words. Someday I will join in a larger heavenly chorus that lifts up thankful praise to God."

Someday. It is a wonderful thought. Christians are someday people. "Someday, the anger that overtakes my emotions will be replaced with love." "Someday, this body that is broken, and a host to all sorts of chaos will be made new and replaced with a heavenly body, perfect for all eternity." "Someday I will not struggle with lust." "Someday I will not covet my neighbors house." "Someday I will love God with my whole heart."

It is easy to be Someday Christians and it is good and appropriate to reflect upon, and gain encouragement by dwelling on eternal realities. But we live in the world now; where sin has ravished people, where lust and coveting eats away at the family unit, and where petty sins verge on destroying the local church.

In many ways, Someday should be today. Let us not err on the side of looking so expectantly for heaven and becoming so preoccupied with Someday that we become oblivious to the realities that are all around us. If anyone struggles with coveting or lust, do not wait until "all things are made new," to deal with your sin. Let us all become today Christians also.

"Encourage one another day after day, as long as it is called Today, lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end; while it is said, "Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the provocation." Hebrews 3:13-15

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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