Daily Encouragement: Day 224

From Handbook to Wisdom, Day 224

THE YEARNING FOR A FINAL RETURN

The Lord God will swallow up death forever,
and He will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will
remove the reproach of His people from all the earth.
For the Lord has spoken.
And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God;
we have waited for Him, and He will save us.
This is the Lord, we have trusted in Him;
let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”
(Isaiah 25:8–9)

The Lord Jesus is coming quickly.
His reward is with Him,
and He will give to everyone according to
what he has done.
He is the Alpha and the Omega,
the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Yes, He is coming quickly.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
(Revelation 22:12–13, 20)

Henri Nouwen, in his perceptive book The Return of the Prodigal Son, describes his encounter with Rembrandt’s painting of this parable and the remarkable effect this painting had on his self-understanding. “It had brought me into touch with something within me that lies far beyond the ups and downs of a busy life, something that represents the ongoing yearning of the human spirit, the yearning for a final return, an unambiguous sense of safety, a lasting home.” It is an aspiration to turn to our Father’s house and to find the deep satisfaction of His embrace and of being treasured by Him. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go and prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2–3).