The morning air was still cool, the dew sparkling on the grass. A great day for an early morning walk.
As I took in God’s beautiful world, I saw them. Nestled in the dewy grass. Children’s shoes. Two pair. No doubt the kids ran home last night without a thought that their shoes were still at the playground. I chuckled as I wondered when they’d realize they were missing. Until then, the shoes would just sit there. Left behind.
Left behind? Wait a minute! Had the Rapture occurred last night? Was I left behind like those shoes?
I laughed out loud at that thought. I knew I wouldn’t be left behind. But I sobered quickly as I thought about all those people in the world who would be if the Rapture had occurred. All because they do not recognize Christ as the ONLY Way, the ONLY Truth, the ONLY Life.
I sobered even more as I asked myself if I was sharing this Good News with others so they wouldn’t be left behind. Telling them what a glorious day it will be when Jesus comes again to take His children home! What joy it will be to see our Lord face to face. To know the full extent of His love and forgiveness. To see our loved ones again at the throne of Grace. To live eternally with no more pain. No more sorrow. Only joy and peace and celebration.
We can argue about pre-tribulation or post-tribulation rapture and various end time theories. But let’s face it. We won’t know who’s right until we meet Jesus in the air. Whenever that will be. For the Lord doesn’t tell us the day or the time. Just be alert. Be ready. Be prepared.
Even though we can’t tell others WHEN Jesus is coming back, we can tell them with absolute certainly that Jesus IS coming back. He said He would and He will. Period. End of story.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going outside to jump up and down. Why, you ask? Rapture practice. Just in case.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.
~ 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 NIV
Linda Veath Cox is a regular contributor to DivineDetour. She recently retired after twenty-five years as a district office secretary for the State of Illinois. Her first loves are studying the Bible and reading, but she occasionally tries her hand at writing. Her work is published in All My Bad Habits I Learned from Grandpa (Thomas Nelson),The One-Year Life Verse Devotional (Tyndale), Life Lessons from Grandparents (Write Integrity), Love Is a Verb (a devotional from Bethany House), and Chicken Soup for the Soul’s I Can’t Believe My Dog Did That. She lives in a small town in the Midwest with the “Bone Mafia,” her two indoor/outdoor mutts.