Deeper Longings with Hui
10 April 2020
Hi everyone, my name is Hui and I am one of the members here at Redemption Hill Church.
How are you? Are you ready as I am for this whole COVID situation to be over?
A couple of nights ago, I was having trouble sleeping, and I was tossing and turning in my bed trying to fall asleep, waiting for the morning to come. And in that time, I was reminded that so much of life and so much of human existence is about waiting.
We know from the Bible, from the moment that sin entered the world, the world was waiting for its Saviour, the Messiah, who would come and overcome sin and restore all things in this broken world. We know that when the Saviour, Jesus Christ, came, and lived the perfect life and then died on the cross for our sins, there was a time of waiting, too, before Jesus rose again and resurrected on the third day. A day or two may seem like a short time to us now, but imagine how dark the time was for His disciples and followers, seeing their Lord dead and crucified, and thinking to themselves, “Is this it? This can’t be it.” We know from the Bible that we are waiting too - for Jesus to come again to restore the world to the paradise of God’s original design. In times like this, isn’t that just such a beautiful picture?
This may be a deep and dark season for some of us, but it is also a powerful reminder that we are waiting - not just for COVID to be done, but for Jesus Christ to return. And while we hope for and look forward to the day when COVID goes away and our normal lives are restored, our greater hope is in Jesus himself and the final, total restoration that He will bring, when there will be no sin, no sickness, and no death anymore. Our God fulfilled His promise to send us a Saviour and He will fulfill His promise to return in glory. Let’s allow this season to stir up within us a holy longing for Jesus and His return.
Psalm 130 says,
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
Dear God, we are thankful that you are a faithful God who keeps His promises. In these uncertain times, we ask that your Holy Spirit work in us to root us in your Word. May we draw comfort and strength from your promises. May we find peace and joy in your love and care for us. Help us to encourage each other with the encouragement we receive from you, and help us to boldly share this hope that we have in you and in your Gospel with others around us who so desperately need it during this time.
In Jesus’ Holy Name we pray, Amen.