Transformed – teen devotion – December 22, 2019
“Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
Isaiah 25:9
Jesus is worth the wait
If something is worth the wait, we’ll wait for it. We’ll wait 10 minutes at Starbucks for a $10 cup of coffee. We’ll wait even 20 minutes in the drive through at Chick-fil-A. We’ll grind through four years of high school to get to graduation. We put in months and months of diligent time and energy to get that ‘A’ or make the varsity basketball team. We wait for friends to be there for us when we need them. Because if something or someone is worth the wait, we’ll wait.
But any kid at Christmas time can tell you how hard it is to wait when eyeing up those gifts under the tree. Waiting demands patience. Waiting also demands trust—trust in that product or the person you’re waiting for—trust that they are worth the wait. If they’re not, we’ll take our business elsewhere. We’ll buy a different smartphone or pursue a different career. We’ll find new, more reliable friends. Because if something is not worth the wait, we won’t wait for it anymore.
What about Jesus? Is Jesus worth the wait?
It’s hard to wait when we don’t know how long we have to wait. It’s hard to wait when things seem urgent and desperate, when we hurt, or when we are teased and ridiculed for our faith. It’s hard to wait when things are out of control and we can’t see God’s plan. The more we have to wait, the more we start to worry. Is Jesus really worth the wait?
Jesus—the promised Messiah has come into the world, suffered the punishment that brought us peace, and risen from the dead. He has defeated sin, death, and the devil. And he will deliver you. Our God fulfills his promises. His people never wait in vain. The same God who shows us today our standing in salvation history, showing us his guiding hand as he carries out his saving work—the very God who gave you life and breath—is the same God who took on human flesh to give up his life so that not even death itself can separate us from God. That Savior is the God we trust in. That Savior is worth waiting for always.
Prayer: Gracious God, you alone are our rock and our redeemer. Help us trust in you and your gracious promises as we wait for you to take us home to heaven. Amen.
