Daily Devotion - Tuesday, January 12, 2016

For the next several weeks our daily devotions will be focused on the fresh start that a new year brings, and how we have the opportunity to write a new story in a new year.  We're going to be thinking about how the decisions we make today, determine the story we tell tomorrow.  This week we're going to be thinking  about what we need to do to start something this year that will help determine a better story. 

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." - Anne Frank 

I have always been in awe of the writings of Anne Frank, the teenage Jewish girl who eventually died in a concentration camp, but who left behind for the sake of the the world an incredible, poignant collection of her writings.  Her diary, in many ways, brought the horrors of the Holocaust down to a very personal, and heart-wrenching level for all who read it.  

But it's quotes like the one above that simply amaze me.  How could a teenage girl be filled with such wisdom, such grace and peace?  How could she have penned something so profound and insightful at such a young age?  I, for one, believe her words were inspired, and I am sure that there are more than a few people who would agree with me.  

As I read that quote this morning, I was reminded of a passage of Scripture from Paul's letter to the Romans.  Paul wrote, "And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." 

Paul had a sense of urgency with all of his writings, to be honest.  He believed in living his life to reflect the notion that the kingdom of God was breaking through and that Jesus was going to return at any moment.  Because of this sense of urgency, Paul wasted no time in doing everything he could to improve the world by sharing the Good News that Jesus Christ had defeated sin and death.  

I think that most Christians today are groggy, sleepy and lacking the energy to get up off of the couch, so to speak.  We are comfortable.  We lack the urgency that comes from trials and tribulations like Anne Frank faced.  We don't feel the imminent presence of God's kingdom like the Apostle Paul.  We need to realize that our time is short, that all time is short.  We can't afford to wait to improve the world.  

May you be filled with a holy, grace-filled sense of urgency to improve the world.  May you realize that the time to start is now, that Jesus and His ultimate redemption of all Creation is closer every single moment.  May you be filled with incredible hope and joy that can't be expressed in words alone.  And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen.