December 20 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

"The day is coming...." "The great and dreadful day of the LORD comes...." "I am coming...." These phrases set the tone for the last chapter of the Old Testament. And in the last chapter of the New Testament, the Spirit and the Bride say, "Come," and the Lord Jesus promises, "I am coming soon."

The Bible is framed by the word coming, both as a prayer and a promise.

That's why throughout history, God's people are taught not only to look back and remember and to look up and believe. We are encouraged especially to look forward and expect the coming of the Lord. This teaching is important for our understanding of God himself, as well as for learning an attitude God requires of us.

It is essential that we know God as "the One who is coming." For most people it is still easiest to think of God as an eternal deity, far above us. Even non-Christians have an inkling of God's existence. Unless we are totally insensitive to the deeper dimensions of life—the mystery of being, the riddle of dying, the aspirations of our spirits, the marvel of our bodies—we cannot avoid the conclusion that God exists.

But that's not enough. Bible-believing Christians believe in God as the coming One. He is not only above our world, he has walked here and will soon step into it once again.

That's why our confession of faith does not merely consist of statements about God. Faith involves an expectation of God's literal coming.

Say you are expecting guests this afternoon at 3 o'clock. As the time draws near, you'll find yourself saying, "Are they here yet? Do you see them coming? Yes, they're coming." The word coming describes your guests, and it says everything about your attitude during the time of expectation.

All the news about God in the Old Testament and the New Testament is summed up in three words: He is coming!

REFLECTIONS

How will you keep the coming of our Lord on your mind and heart this Christmas season?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.