Colossians
1:15-16 (NIV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all
creation.
16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or
authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
I did not know how much a trip to Gonky's
house (Gonky is a compound name for Grandpa from Hong Kong, it is a long story)
would benefit my youngest daughter Lydia. For Veteran's Day my nine year old
daughter Lydia has to bring a picture of someone in her family that served in
the armed forces.
Yesterday Lydia went to spend time with her
Gonky and Grammy while my wife attended a conference in Springfield. Lydia was
thrilled with the prospect of seeing her Gonky. ON the trip up to Springfield
she was busy counting down the minutes until she would see her Gonky. About
every ten minutes or so she would ask my wife how much longer. Little did we
know that her Gonky in Springfield was also doing the very same thing. About
every thirty minutes he would ask his wife how much longer until Lydia arrived.
The time finally came when they were together
and the sheer delight that both of them had when they saw each other was
noticeable both in their voices and on their faces. As bedtime drew near that
evening, Lydia asked Gonky if he had a picture of him when he was in the
service. Gonky quickly found one and handed it to Lydia. She took it and looked
at it for the longest time. You need to know that Gonky is now fifty plus years
past the time in which this picture was taken.
Lydia just stared at the picture and then up
at Gonky. "Gonky, it does not look much like you, but it is you." She
just stared at the picture of her Gonky in his younger days in his dress
uniform..
As bed time drew nearer Lydia clutched the
picture of her Gonky tightly to herself and she fell asleep on her mom's lap.
It would be several minutes later when my wife would take her to bed. As she
put Lydia to sleep Melanie tried to pry the picture of Gonky from her grasp
only to find that Lydia would not let it go. Trying not to crumple the picture,
Melanie said to Lydia, "If you sleep with the picture you will crumple it
and it won't be good anymore." Lydia quickly released her grasp and put
the picture on the desk near where she was sleeping and fell fast asleep.
The next morning Gonky went out and had two
copies of this picture made. One for Lydia to take to class and one for Lydia
to have in her room. She is proud of her Gonky and loves him like no other, and
that is how it should be.
When she returned to our home last night she
had her picture of her Gonky with her. Even though he was not physically
present with her she found comfort in the picture she had of him.
So it is with us. We ache to be with our Lord
once and for all but for now we have to live in this fallen world. How can we
find comfort and rest while we are apart from our Lord? We have a Savior who,
like Lydia's Gonky, has not left us without a picture of himself. Some of you
may be wondering just where we get this picture of our Lord. The answer is
right here in this text. The Bible was given to us to give us the picture of
Christ so that we would find comfort and encouragement while we wait for His
appearing.
I suggest you might want to go to sleep
reading the Word tonight so that you will have visions of your Savior as you
sleep.
Sweet dreams,
Pastor Phil