Following the Star

Pause

This is only the beginning.

God is up to something amazing in you.

Wait for it.

Listen

Jesus told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, you know that God’s kingdom is near. I assure you that this generation won’t pass away until everything has happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will certainly not pass away."

Luke 21:29-33

Think

Sometimes it is hard to know just how close we are to something. Tracking a package, a flight, or a phone’s location can often tell us where something is, but not always exactly when it will come to us. Unexpected things can happen that interrupt the path, delay the arrival, or change the destination altogether.

Jesus tells his hearers in the gospel according to Luke that trees are kind of like trackers. Just like trees track how soon summer will arrive, so too, Jesus says, things will happen to show that something else is changing too. Particularly, Jesus says that we can track the coming of the Kingdom of God by things we see.

We can’t get email notifications, text updates, or follow a dot on a map to tell us how close God’s Kingdom is to us today. However, we can believe that God’s Kingdom is coming to us and is near. Look out for God. God’s Kingdom, a Kingdom of love, may be closer than you think.

Tasha Gibson

Pray

God of Grace, thank you that you, by the Spirit, are on the move in the world. Open my eyes that I might see you all around me today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Go

This is not the end.

God is up to something wonderful in the world.

Watch for it.