Matthew 11:3 - Ready or Not, Here I Come

Tuesday 3/20/12 – Ready or Not, Here I Come.

Matthew 11:3 – And said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

Interpretation:

     John’s disciples were asking Jesus if He was the answer they were looking for. At one point or another in our lives we all ask ourselves this question: “God, I’m so stressed with the situations in my life. Are You coming to help me, or should I look for another way out?” “God, I don’t have the love for that person like I know I should, are You going to give me that love, or do I have to look elsewhere to try to muster it up myself?” “God, I thought You gave me a promise in Your Word; are You going to fulfill it, or did I misunderstand and I’m all alone and now it’s only up to me and what I can do?”

     The answer to John’s question was that Jesus was the One they were looking for. And at the risk of sounding too cliché-ish, Jesus is and always will be the answer to our problems. No, it might not be as easy as calling on Him and then everything’s all “hunky-dory.” In this verse, He’s referred to as “the Coming One.” If you haven’t learned it yet, in God’s kingdom, there is a lot of waiting on Him and His timing. I honestly don’t get why it seems like we always have to wait; I wish I did. I would assume it has something to do with the whole idea of God’s thoughts being higher than our thoughts and letting patience have its perfect work in us that we might be complete, lacking nothing (James 1:4), but I get that it’s easier to quote these verses than to actually wait for Him when you’re in the midst of a trial. But that’s really all I can tell you – wait on Him and He promises to renew your strength (Isaiah 40:31). We have a problem and we’re looking for an answer. We don’t know when God will arrive to deliver us, but we do know one thing – He’s coming.

Application:

     Yesterday, my application was if I started to get depressed, anxious, upset, or in any way seem to be in a prison, I would bring my cares to God through prayer. Well, all day yesterday, I felt as though I was under attack from the enemy and my flesh. The times I went to God in prayer didn’t seem to help. Honestly, I was a little confused, disappointed, and still stressed. Today, I will remember that God’s the “Coming One” and although He might not give me immediate relief from my prisons, He will eventually come in His perfect timing. I just have to hold on and wait for Him.