The Preacher's Pen

Relief! We speak of it often. In Texas we look for relief from summer time heat. Rolaids made their product a household name by playing off the spelling of relief. A good relief pitcher is a welcome sight to baseball fans. Relief we all need some.

I got some this morning, when Rusty told me that he had gone ahead and written the entire June issue of Abundant Life. I had been anxiously looking at my schedule wondering when I was going to find the time to write for and layout this month's issue. In one simple sentence Rusty freed my schedule and granted me sweet relief.

Paul speaks of a much greater kind of relief in 2 Thessalonians 1:7. As he writes about the certainty of final judgment he says that Jesus will come "to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." Most people do not think of the judgment day with much less than stark terror. Yet Paul envisions that day as having a relief effect on the righteous. For those who have faithfully served the Lord under great trials and persecution Jesus' coming brings relief. The enemies of the cross will be stopped and put down. The cause of truth will be vindicated. All those who gave their all to Jesus in the face of this world's continual criticism and ridicule will finally be seen to have made the right choice all along. What a relief that will be! To finally be in a place where everything is right, the Lord is honored by all as He should be, and the devil and all evil are nowhere to be found. That will be the greatest relief possible. So don't give up. Keep doing right, acting right, and being right. Relief is coming!