Show us, Lord, the wonder of Your great salvation.

“The Day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty … The Day of the Lord is coming – a cruel Day with fierce anger … “; “When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven … He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord … ” Lord, we read these words, and we wonder, “Is this what lies ahead of us?” We thank You, Lord, that You speak to us of something else, something very much more wonderful – the Day of Christ’s Return, the Day of our salvation: “the Day He comes to be glorified in His holy people and to be marvelled at among all those who have believed” (Isaiah 13:6,9; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). Why, Lord, do You speak to us about judgment? Does this have anything at all to do with the Good News of our salvation? You show us, Lord, what we have been saved from – so that we might appreciate more deeply, more truly and more fully, the wonder of Your great salvation. You speak to us Your warning, ‘Don’t let the Day of the Lord “surprise you like a thief” – to bring us to “Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath,” and to lead us on to the Day of “salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4,9; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10).