The Eyes of Faith | The Presidential Prayer Team

Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. – Titus 2:13

Waiting can sometimes be a frustrating experience… waiting in line at the grocery store, waiting in a doctor’s office, waiting for traffic to move in a congested area. You may also experience waiting as a time of eager expectation as you anticipate vacations, special family gatherings, or the like.

Simeon was a man, righteous and devout, who was “waiting for the consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:25-26). The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, Simeon knew He was the One. In similar fashion, eagerly long “for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). Jesus is coming again! To those who have eyes of faith, He will be the Deliverer from the anguish that sin brought on the world. To the lost, He will be a Judge.

The apostle Paul’s message to Titus emphasized the relationship between faith and practice, belief and behavior. Anticipation of Christ’s second coming should spur you to live soberly, rejecting the empty values of the world. The life you are called to live is under the grace of God, delighting in His Word and being a light shining in a lost world.

Believer, be encouraged. Focus on the love God has for you as evidenced by His marvelous gift of salvation. “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Then lift this nation and its leaders up in prayer that they may come to see the Deliverer through the eyes of faith.

Today’s Verse: Titus 2:13

waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: Matthew 5:13-16, 6:19-21

¹³“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
¹⁴“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

¹⁹“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.