Tuesday, November 16

Angels Long to Look into These Things

Read Psalm 78



Our family used to take a camping trip every year with my grandparents and my mom’s sister’s family. My aunt and uncle had a wood sided nine passenger station wagon, so they got the privilege of hauling the tent trailer and 6 children (2 of us, 4 of them). The little boys were still in car seats in those days and were strapped into the middle seat. That left the four of us girls to be dispersed between the three seatbelts available in the rear-facing back bench seat and one up front between the grown ups.



The front seat was the coveted spot. We would take turns riding an hour or so at a time in the luxury of the front or languishing in the back.


From the back, we could see only what was behind us. We saw the backs of road signs and had the opportunity to make awkward eye contact with the diver of the car behind us at stop lights. We had no concept of time back there. The only answer we would get from the oft repeated “Are we there yet?” was “It’s just around the next bend.” It was never around the next bend.




The person in the front seat got a birdseye view of the road before us. We could easily spot the mile markers and the road signs telling us how many more miles to go. We were young though and really had no concept of time beyond that an hour was far longer that 15 minutes and 15 minutes seemed like an eternity.


The angels have a front row seat to the goings on of heaven. They are intimately acquainted with the heart of God. So much so, that they celebrate when one sinner repents (Luke 15:10). Even the angles don’t have all the answers though. “Angels long to look into these things,” Peter tells us (I Peter 1:12). They’d sure like to be privy to the details, but God alone knows the future fully.


Sometimes we think knowing the answer to “are we there yet” would solve all our problems. If we knew the answer, we would not be satisfied. God himself could say from on high, “I will be returning to take you all to heaven on March 14, 2025.”


And we would plague him with questions: Will this happen before, during or after the Tribulation? The beast is figurative, right? How will you come? How will we know? What will you expect? What should I wear? Will I have accomplished anything eternally significant by then? What if I’m driving a car at the time—would that be dangerous? Why did you even tell us this if there is nothing we can really do about it anyway?


Our driver knows where we’re going and exactly how to get there. He doesn’t rely on Mapquest or Garmin, he has a plan and he knows exactly how he’s going to make it happen.



“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11.


There are no road closures or weather conditions he is not prepared to deal with.



God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, "Fall on the earth," and to the rain shower, "Be a mighty downpour" Job 37:5-6.


And he brought along plenty of snacks.



And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19.


So rest easy in the back seat. Have fun with life. Strive to be your very best and let him help you get there.




Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. Luke 12:27


Posted by Andrea

No comments: