"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17).

What a wondrous prospect! We "wait for His Son from heaven" (1 Thessalonians 1:10). Though there are blessings of bliss innumerable before us, yet, better than the best of them altogether, is "The Lord Himself." Should we look simply for "things" to come, or "signs," our proper outlook would be diverted, and our hopes disappointed. To look for HIM will keep all in perfect perspective. HE is the sum and substance, the center and circumference of our hope. Without HIM, even heaven would not be heaven for the believer. What would the bride be without her Bridegroom?

To know Him now as Saviour and Lord, and to wait for Him to return to the air for us, is the only true hope for peace of heart as we pass through the turmoil and distress of these perilous times. The "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13) cheers our spirits. It makes the burdens of daily life lighter. It soothes our sorrows, and wipes away our tears. It frees us from our fears and frustrations.

To be watching for "The Lord HIMSELF," who may even come today to receive us unto Himself, brightens the darkest of circumstances. Such an imminent prospect also strengthens us for the path ahead, and purifies our souls to be "like unto men that wait for their Lord" (Luke 12:36), in holy anticipation of joy. What will it be to gaze upon His face for the first time, and to know that we shall forever be with the Lord HIMSELF! "Even so, Come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20).

—Donald T. Johnson (Reprinted from 1977 Scripture Almanac.)