What Awaits Us?

And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8

Paul neared the end of his race and he admitted to some knowledge of what awaits those who await the coming of Christ in His glory. Search on the word 'awaits' in the New Living Translation of the Bible (the NKJV and other versions use different wording.) and you will find 71 matches. Looking down through the search results is an interesting journey. The majority are prophecies of woe: 'what sorrow awaits...' There are a few other dooms that speak of destruction, ruin, and bitterness awaiting those who do the wrong thing. But now and then is a glimpse of what is to come for those who will believe in Jesus.

Psalm 37:37 - Look at those who are honest and good,
for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.

Jesus will make the difference when He comes, one might say. And indeed it seems that He does for a brief moment in Matthew 5:12 in the Sermon on the Mount. "Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way." Wait, what's this bit about persecution? Yes, the great rewards we are happy about come after the persecution, actually after mocking you, persecuting you, and telling lies about you. Then the results speak of more sorrow foretold by our Lord Himself to those who needed warning.

Throughout much of the Bible, God's love is spoken in warning to what awaits those who love the darkness. For those who believe though, there is a bit of treasure to grasp as the Lord grants a glimpse of what awaits us in Heaven. There is good news for those who work in Christ to spread His good news: "The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!" John 4:36. And of course there is the crown of righteousness we read in our verse for today.

Joy and righteousness await those who believe in Jesus, and we look forward to a wonderful future as He teaches us honesty, goodness and peace. Amen.

Bucky