The Son of Man Is Coming [Luke 21]
25"There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,26men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.27"Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory.28"But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
It is hard for me to imagine living through the events leading up to Christ's second appearance on earth because of all the turmoil associated with it as described here in Luke 21 and elsewhere in the Bible. Apparently, the heavenly bodies that seem so stable now will undergo some disturbances causing havoc on earth resulting in "men fainting from fear." But I don't have to be spiritually shaken through whatever happens because these catastrophic events mean my Savior is on His way to gather me and all of His children to Himself. What a day that will be! I'm not sure how He will do it, but He will be seen by His children as coming in a cloud with power and great glory. I love the way Jesus ended this description of the second coming by instructing me to straighten up and lift up my head when I see the signs and know that my "redemption is drawing near." He repeats it again in v.36, "Be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man." (Holman, CSB)
He is my redemption. He is my power. He is my Savior and He is coming again for me. He gives me His strength.
I praise God for my Jesus who is coming again with power and great glory as my redeemer. Cause me by your grace, Lord, to be ready for Him and to straighten up and lift up my head and see my redemption is drawing near.
Beth Warlick and Verna McCrillis, 3/17/2009