Awaiting the Climax

Devotional by Derek Prince.

Awaiting the Climax

Psalm 96:11–13

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the LORD, for He comes, He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and all the peoples in His truth.

The psalmist there presents a beautiful picture of the whole natural world around us waiting for a special and glorious climax, the coming of the Lord in power and in glory to judge and to reign. The psalmist speaks about the heavens, the sea, the fields, the trees. All of them are waiting; all of them are longing to respond in praise and the expression of joy at the coming of the Lord. How about you and me? Are we as ready as nature is for that great climax?

In the epistle to the Romans, Paul says, “The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God.” All creation is on tiptoes of expectancy for that great and glorious day, the return in majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ. May God grant that you and I who claim to be believers are not less expectant and less excited about that great day than the trees and the fields and the seas and the heavens. May we be as ready as they are.