On Your Mark, Get Set … Wait! – Family Devotion – May 23, 2022

Read: John 16:16-24

[Jesus said], “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me. Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”
John 16:16,22

On Your Mark, Get Set … Wait!

 

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“On your mark, get set …” What comes next? Before you say, “go,” just … wait. But waiting is hard to do, isn’t it? When you are so hungry you feel like you could eat an entire elephant, you don’t want to wait. When it’s your birthday and you see the wrapped presents, you don’t want to wait. Or, when you are sick and feeling awful, you don’t want to wait—you just want it to be over.

Later this week, it will be exactly forty days since Easter Sunday. After Jesus rose from the dead, he ascended back up into heaven. Oh, how his disciples wished Jesus would have motioned them to join him and said, “Ready, set, let’s go! Come join me in heaven!” Instead, Jesus told them to be ready and get set, but now … wait. He said, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”

Jesus understands how hard waiting is. He especially knows how those who follow him hate to wait. That’s because we know something about Jesus, don’t we? Jesus can turn us from being sad to being happy just as sure as he turned death to life! Jesus can turn sickness into health. He listens to our prayers. We know he even promised a wonderland with our names on it—a city with gates made out of single pearls and streets paved with gold!

But “In a little while …” he promised. So now we live and wait. Think of going to a doctor’s office and having to wait in the waiting room. We live as God’s children waiting for him to motion us through the door of heaven at the right time. Sometimes, we get impatient with life in God’s waiting room! There will be plenty in life that will make us sad and cry. But Jesus wipes every one of our tears away with his promise: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Then he tells us to keep waiting and to keep praying: “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”

May Jesus bless and keep us as we wait—just a little while longer!

Closing Prayer:

Dear Lord, you have done great things for us, and it fills us with joy! As we eagerly wait to see you again, bless and keep us living one day at a time in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• “On your mark, get set …” What comes next?
• Instead of “Go!” Jesus says, “Wait!” What are we waiting for?

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• Waiting for Jesus to return is hard. But why is it worth it?
• What does Jesus encourage to be doing while we wait for him?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• As we wait for Jesus to return, how can we be sure that he’s coming back for us?
• AGREE or DISAGREE: Until Jesus returns, life will be all giggles and grins.