Almost Here

The number of patients waiting for the doctor to arrive increased to 30, which made the clinic secretary say, "Sorry, this is our cut-off number." She turned away all the patients who came in later.  

The doctor was due two hours earlier, but each time the waiting (im)patients asked what time the doctor was coming, the secretary always replied with, “Almost here.”  

 

 “Almost here” was two more hours later—a total of four hours of waiting time. 

“I am so sorry,” the doctor apologized as she rushed in. “My patient in the other hospital was fighting for her life. I had to stay with her.” 

We all wondered why the secretary was not honest with us. Had she explained the situation, we could have done something productive with our waiting time. 

“Almost here” promised false hope.  

In contrast, God was forthright—from the creation to the end of Jesus’ life on earth.  The Bible is clear on what we need to know to get to heaven. From the fall of Adam, we have been told that our Redeemer would come and save us from our sins. 

God tells us exactly in Romans 3:23-25 (NLT), “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.” 

He did not say, “Almost here.” It is man who thinks He will come soon, because of all the disasters, wars, and the exponential growth of evil things abominable to God. What He said was, He will come again at a time only He knows so we should keep ready while waiting.  

Reflect and pray: 

How do I deal with getting the wrong answers or excuses for someone’s delay?  

ooo