There’s this lady at work who comes from an Asian country. We have a great friendship of the kind that may only be understandable to folks who have worked in a busy factory, where two people going about their jobs often cross paths but have basically no time to speak, and no real understanding of what the other actually does for a living. It goes sort of like this:
“Hey, how you doing today?”
“Okay for a Monday. Working hard?”
“Hah! I work hard every day! Not like SOME people I know…”
“Right! You should try to keep up with me some time when you can’t find anything to lean on! See ya…”
Of such conversations, durable relationships can be formed.
So anyway, the other day I saw this lady hard at work (you can never tease a slacker about their work habits) and walked her way. She didn’t see me coming until the last second, and I must have startled her, because she jumped back, grabbed at her heart-filled throat and blurted, “Oh! Jesus!”
“Nah,” I said, “It’s only me…” and went on about my job.
And then I got to thinking. First of all, I told you she’s from an Asian country, a country where Buddhism is very prominent. But she hadn’t blurted, “Oh! Buddha!” That’s encouraging to me, because although I know nothing about her faith-life, at least she knows how to call on the name of the Lord in a moment of panic, and that’s a qualification for salvation under both the Old and New Covenants (see Joel 2:32, reinforced in Acts 2:21).
But there was more. I realized that one day there will be people who cry out, “Oh! Jesus!” when they see Him coming in His glory, but for them this sudden, accurate identification of the King of Kings will come too late. And I was reminded of how those of us who are eagerly watching and waiting for Him will also shout His name, but for us it will be in joyful recognition of our loving Savior, who has come at last to complete our deliverance.
Although for many His coming will be according to the scenario detailed by the apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5, when the unexpected arrival of the “thief in the night” brings sudden destruction upon those who have been saying “Peace and safety,” I find great comfort in the promise of the following verses that tell us we believers won’t be surprised at all!
“For you are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief,” Paul writes, “but you are all sons of the light and sons of the day.” He goes on to encourage us to live according to that light, alert, self-controlled, faithful, loving… and concludes the passage by telling us, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
So thanks, everybody, for all the encouragement. Now I have to get back to work… see ya!
