The Two Minutes

Romans 8:22-23 – For we know that even the things of nature, like animals and plants, suffer in sickness and death as they await this great event. And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us — bodies that will never be sick again and will never die. (TLB)

I have an electric toothbrush, which does a fantastic job of cleaning my teeth and keeping my gums healthy, and all it takes is two two-minute brushings per day. Who could ask for more? And yet, some days, those two minutes seem to absolutely take forever. As I am standing at the sink, brushing away, I begin to wonder if the timer is broken. Surely two minutes must be up by now, and yet the brush keeps whirring away. And then, just when I am about to give up on the timer and manually shut the brush down, it automatically shuts itself off.

Time is a funny thing, isn't it! Sometimes, it seems to fly by, and other times, the same amount of time appears to take forever to pass. Yet when the time is up, it's up, and it's gone forever.

Likewise, as today's Scripture states, sometimes it seems like forever before "this great event" — the coming of Christ — will appear. We wait and we long for it, and perhaps, we may even begin to doubt if it is ever going to happen. We tire of being sick and stressed and in pain and seeing friends and loved ones die. We want the two minutes to be up. And the truth of the matter is that one day, it will be, for this is the promise of God.

1 Corinthians 15:52-54 – It will all happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For there will be a trumpet blast from the sky, and all the Christians who have died will suddenly become alive, with new bodies that will never, never die; and then we who are still alive shall suddenly have new bodies too. For our earthly bodies, the ones we have now that can die, must be transformed into heavenly bodies that cannot perish but will live forever. When this happens, then at last this Scripture will come true — "Death is swallowed up in victory." (TLB)

Thus, in light of these Scriptures, no matter what you are going through right now, don't give up. Christ is coming again. The time may seem to be dragging, but soon enough, the two minutes will be up, and we shall see Him face to face on that glorious day when He will wipe away all tears from our eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. All of this will be gone forever, for this is the truth of God Who cannot lie.

Prayer: Father God, thank You for the truth of Your Word that lets us know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Christ is coming again and that on that day, the two minutes will be up once and for all. Bless those today who are struggling with pain and suffering, discouragement and death, with hope and faith to wait patiently in Your strength upon Your time and Your way, which are always perfect. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.