28 “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Luke 21:28 (NKJV)
By Bro. John L. Cash
I’ve been studying the Bible a long time. And the longer I look into God’s Holy Word, the more I’m amazed at the perfection of it all. One can never say of the Scriptures, “Well, I’ve mastered the Book now; there’s nothing more to be gained from it.” With every reading we uncover another layer of God’s infinite truth.
I’ve come to the conclusion that nothing is left to accident in the Scriptures. There is great meaning in the words chosen. For instance, we all know Baby Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem. But did you know the word “Bethlehem” means “House of Bread”? The Lord Jesus (who in John’s Gospel proclaims that He is “The Bread of the Life”) was born in the city that’s named for this great truth.
Susan sent me a wonderful cartoon this week, all about the distractions that are such a major component of the times in which we live. Here it is:
In it, we see ourselves as we stand in front of God. He gave us the blessings of life all around us, but we missed them because we were looking at screens. We missed them because we were looking down.
Upon reading this, it brought the words of Jesus to mind. In Luke 21, He is telling us what will be the signs of His 2nd Coming and the end of the age. In today’s lesson (at the top) He gives us a command of what we should do when we see these signs come to pass. He says we should look up. (Luke 21:28)
I realize Jesus probably (literally) just meant for everyone to “lift your heads.” But could the words have a special meaning for us as we live in these last days? Perhaps He wants us to put down our cell phones and look up into the faces of our children.
And maybe He wants us to look up because so many people are looking down (in criticism and hatred) on other people. It’s time to spend less time thinking about what others are doing wrong and spend more time thinking about what we need to do right for the Saviour and for the world.
Truly, God has given you a “pretty great life.” This week, will you take time to look up and see it?
Dr. John L. Cash is the “Country Preacher Dad.” He was raised in Stuttgart, Arkansas, and has spent the last 34 ½ years being a country preacher in the piney woods five miles south of the little town of Hickory, Mississippi. He’s currently on a sabbatical from the preaching ministry, and is an English teacher at the Choctaw Tribal School. He and his lovely wife, Susan, live in a brick house in town (where the Christmas tree still has “things” stuck in the top of it.) You can send him a note at brotherjohn@ilovechurchcamp.com.
