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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for December 2, 2009
“We Always Need Something to Look Forward To”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
There was a square vent in the floor with an old fashioned cover.
It allowed the heat from downstairs to rise into our second story bedrooms.
And it also gave us a good angle on the fireplace below.
If you had to go to bed, but you wanted to keep an eye on the fireplace, and especially the Christmas tree, then that vent was the place to be.
So that’s where my siblings and I camped out on Christmas Eve . . . on the floor by the vent, peeking and listening.
If there was ever an example of “eagerly awaiting” something, isn’t it kids on Christmas Eve?
For me, that was the big one. Birthdays were second. Summer vacation was third.
And here’s one for kids in the snow states. I remember sitting by the radio, waiting, begging, pleading that school would be cancelled due to the snow. You felt like a death row inmate waiting on that call from the governor.
Or what about when you have a big date lined up? That’s one of the most exciting times in your life. You can feel the electricity in your veins just thinking about being with them.
Then you get married and have kids and work a lot and what do you look forward to? Vacation!
This “eager anticipation” is a universal feeling. Something good is coming, and we get excited just thinking about it.
In fact, the eager anticipation is a big part of the fun. It’s the big build up.
I once heard that it takes three things to make us happy. We must have someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to.
Eager anticipation is especially valuable when you are in a less-than-perfect situation. Today may be cruddy, but like the song from Annie, there’s always, “Tomorrow!”
As long as there is a carrot out there somewhere, we can keep going.
For example, I have a friend who doesn’t much care for his job, but he plows through knowing that something good is coming: retirement. It may be 20 years off, but that’s what he’s eagerly awaiting.
But then what? So many retirees get to that point, and then what? What do you look forward to now?
Death? Do we get to the point where all we have to look forward to is death?
Gee, that sucked all the joy out of the room.
Well here is the great thing about being a Christian. We always have something very exciting to look forward to!
Philippians 3 says, “…our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…”
And look at verse 21. It says Jesus “will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”
What we are eagerly awaiting is our coming encounter with Jesus. Hebrews 9:28 says we “eagerly wait for Him.”
First Corinthians 1:7 says we “eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.” And verse eight talks about “the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 8:18 says, “…our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
Verse 23 says, “…we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”
This is something to look forward to with eager anticipation! Our lowly bodies will be redeemed and transformed to be like His glorious body. Glory will be revealed in us!
What exactly does that look like? How will it go? When will it happen? I don’t really know. It’s like when we kids were huddled around that vent. We didn’t know exactly what was happening, but we sure were excited about it! We knew it was going to be good, and we could hardly wait.
And that’s the way I feel about my future encounter with Jesus Christ. I have something great to look forward to. I’m waiting for it with eager anticipation.
I guess it’s universal, this desire, this need to have something to look forward to. And I’m so glad that God has given us just that, something to look forward to every day of our life – the day we are redeemed and transformed and glorified by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
I wonder if this is why, in the Old Testament law, they were given so many annual events and festivals? And then things every seven years or fifty years. It always gave them something to look forward to.
I wonder what atheists look forward to, or those who don’t believe in an afterlife?
© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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