Jackie Ro
First things first, I want to wish my husband David a very happy birthday today.
As we welcomed the month of June a few days ago, I am reminded that soon my family will be packing up and making an international move to Asia again. The year has gone by so quickly. At times I wish I can just pause to reflect, give thanks, savor the moments of grace, and catch my breath.
For someone active like you and me, the days seem to be getting shorter and we wish we had more time. But for other people, time moves at a different pace. People in prison, serving time.
Or the elderly, who sit watching TV all day long. Time moves differently for such people—it almost seems like it has stopped.
Time is also different with God. “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9)
Jesus also said: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” (Rev. 22:13) Jesus is not bound to time, He is outside of time. Yet, He is with us in our time.
Through our ordinary days, the unsettling emotions of worry, anxiety, or fear reveal areas that still need interior freedom or healing. Or sin in our lives revealing unsurrendered areas or the fact that we need our Savior day by day. Our everyday life becomes the classroom setting where we can invite the Holy Spirit for transformation. This is the work of the Gospel in our lives.
A couple of weeks ago, I heard a profound story about a man who made a trip to Israel. When he got to the place where they believe Jesus was beaten, he said, “wait a minute. I have been here before. I know I have been here before.” Though he has never visited Israel before. “My sins have been here. It was my sins that crucified the Lord.”
I don’t know how theologically right that is, but it got me thinking…we even sing about it: “it was my sin that held him there, until it was accomplished. His dying breath has brought me life, I know that it is finished.” Even though we were not there, we share in the sin that Jesus carried. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions⸺it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” (Eph 2:4-7)
So, if that man felt he was with Jesus in his crucifixion, he is surely with our Lord, raised up and seated with him in the heavenly places. Even though we are not yet there, we share in the rich inheritance of our Lord.
What a vision of what is and what is to come. As we all continue to mature in our journey with God, let us continue to give whole heartedly, generously, without reserve to Him who gave so much to us.
“Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith— to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.” (Romans 16:25-27)