The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul. Psalm 23:1-3a
When you think of Jesus’ return, the Second Coming, what emotion does that inspire in you? Fear? Indifference? Confusion? Hope? It may surprise you that the hope we have as Christians is more than Jesus’ death and resurrection, it includes the fact that Jesus is coming back and we will dwell with him forever.
The assurance of our hope, Jesus’ death and resurrection, is something that takes place in the past. But the promise of our hope is a new heavens and new earth (Rev. 21). Yet when everything seems so chaotic and Jesus hasn’t appeared yet, how do we trust that he will return? We can be confident that what he has promised will happen because he has already shown us the character of who he is. If Jesus is trustworthy, as he has demonstrated himself to be, then we can have confidence that future-oriented promises will be fulfilled.
One well-known example of God’s character is Psalm 23. Meditate on this psalm. Who is this shepherd? What kind of safety, comfort, and provision is given to us when we look upon Jesus?
By Jessica Rust
