The Gospel Coalition


     Dear Lord Jesus, it's really not all that complicated. All of history---every millennium, century, year, and nanosecond---is determined by your generous commitment to redeem your people---to "harvest" your beloved bride from every nation, tribe, people, and language. You've done everything necessary to guarantee this magnificent nuptial story will end perfectly.

     You bought us with your life and death. You love us with more passion and delight than we can possibly imagine. You've secured our safe arrival into the new heaven and new earth. There's no chance the wedding feast of the Lamb will not take place. Yet even as you've determined the glorious end of all things, so you've appointed the means to that end. We're to be not just the bride in waiting, but workers in the harvest---the plentiful, ripe harvest.

     As the church, we're not supposed to be hanging out in the spa reading glamour magazines getting our nails done. We're supposed to be getting dirt under our nails as we do the hard and heart work of evangelism and missions. You send us out like lambs among wolves. It's a costly, messy, much-resisted work you've given us to do. But it's worth all the sacrifice, tears, and conflict. For you came to us as the Lamb among sinners and the Lamb for sinners. The price you paid "to have and to hold" your bride makes our most agonizing work a kingdom joy.

