The power of YET and ALREADY…
Cainspirations by Kristi Cain, originally published March 17, 2022
DISCOVERING DESTINY.
Overcoming Darkness.
How are you overcoming the struggle of fortune’s arrows? Let’s journey together!
| Everyone feels unlucky sometimes. And for the past two years, the entire world has felt the sting of less than favorable winds. And whether or not you’re Irish, current events don’t make many days feel lucky, even this one. When we think of all the setbacks from a global to a personal scale–not to mention all the what if’s that go with them–it’s enough to get anyone down. War. Economic depression. Pressures in family relationships. A weight in our spirits that just won’t lift. It’s easy to want to cut our losses. It’s easy to want it all just to stop. And if we were really honest it’s even easy to point a finger at God for not doing more about it. If he’s really all-powerful, how can he allow so much evil to exist in this world? We might want to chime in with Job when he said, “Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment? Why must those who know him look in vain for such days?” The answer to that question, friends, lies in the power of two words: “yet” and “already.” Because those who earnestly seek the truth in his word will be able to find it. And the truth of the matter is that yes, we live in evil times. Yes, bad things are happening. But yes, God is just as all-powerful as ever and just as much in control. And in his perfect power, wisdom, and grace he has lent us some very real sources of hope. The first being “yet.” The first truth we need to wrap around our minds when ruing the evil of our days and its seeming lack of finality is that God has not declared a time for judgment YET. God has not put an end to evil YET. God has not cast the devil from the earth YET. God has not caught the church up into the clouds of heaven YET. But if you want proof that the evil of the earth will be punished, judged, and ended for all eternity, it is written in his word. Those who deny his power and mistreat their neighbors are due for some massive consequences: every force of nature being thrown into chaos and supernatural assault for starters, ending with the prince who attacks us day and night going up in eternal flames. It may not be pleasant, and it may be a subject that most Christians shy away from, but the details of how evil will be expelled from the earth are all inked into the pages of the Bible’s last book. But precisely because it is so horrifying, we can all take comfort in the fact that such judgment has not been enacted YET. The door to the rapture has not closed on our lost family and friends YET. The final generation of the faithful has not been born YET. And even if we boil it down to the more immediate troubles of life, we can all find power in the promise of YET. None of us reading this have tasted death YET. Our last opportunity to mend that broken relationship or realize that long-awaited dream has not passed us by YET. We are not where we want to be YET. We have not served every purpose we were created for YET. We have not been seen for who we truly are on the inside, have not found that perfect outlet for our inner gifting YET. God gave us power in the YET. Promises that can still be fulfilled in the YET. And he is our faithful promise-keeper. But just as God gave the rainbow as a sign of his covenant to Noah, God has given us a very sure sign of the promise of what he has done to assure us these YETs will come to pass ALREADY. God has bound up the broken-hearted, proclaimed freedom to the captive, recovery of sight for the blind, and to set the oppressed free ALREADY with the gift of Jesus Christ. (Luke 4:18-19) When Job was broken-hearted, having lost everything except his wife and his life, his friends “counseled” him based on religious cultural beliefs of his day which measured the quality of your inner character and relationship with God based on the quality of your outward circumstances. From this lens, they declared that Job was judged as deficient, punished for his sinfulness, and unseen in his righteousness by God. But when you are broken-hearted, Jesus’s divine lens has declared you are seen deeper, valued higher, and loved dearer. And when you are broken-hearted due to your faithfulness to God, he promises a greater eternal reward in his perfect kingdom. Because of Jesus, our broken hearts have been bound up ALREADY. Jesus has also peeled back the layers of our worldly illusions to reveal God’s more perfect will and grace living beneath all outward circumstances, such as the ones that blinded Job’s friends. Because Jesus helped restore our spiritual sight, we are equipped to demonstrate God’s gospel of love and grace through humble and compassionate service to our neighbors. Because of Jesus, God’s deeper spiritual truths are written out in red letters for us ALREADY. Finally, Jesus has broken the biggest chains of all. It was a hope that Job could only yearn for on faith when he cried, “I know that my redeemer lives.” (Job 19:25) Today, every apologist is well-versed in the fact that there is no single historical event more widely documented and verified than Jesus’s death and resurrection. Because Jesus is the only worthy offspring any woman will ever birth, he has broken the curse of sin and the grasp of the grave over our world ALREADY. He has forgiven our personal debt ALREADY. He has restored the promise of heaven to us and our children ALREADY. He has grafted us into the branches of his holy family ALREADY. With the words of Isaiah 61:1 up to the first part of 2, restated by Jesus himself in his first public sermon, God has fulfilled his biggest promise to us ALREADY. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Jesus did not declare the rest of Isaiah 61 (including the remainder of verse 2) as having been fulfilled YET because he knew it would be fulfilled in the second coming. “and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion–to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified.” Friend, you have been declared a future tree of righteousness and emblem of God’s glory ALREADY. And that is a promise more powerful than any luck in a day that simply hasn’t seen it YET. The triumph of the true good being worked for you by the God who holds your past, present, and future. |
| Want to know your divine calling? Find out with my “Discover Your Destiny” Quiz! |
YOUR TURN!
Don’t make me do all the talking – I’d love to hear from you!
- What are some promises God has kept to you ALREADY? Which ones do you want to claim today even though they have not been fulfilled YET?
- Do you want to hear about anything else? Any prayer requests?
Just shoot me an email – don’t be shy! And I promise to reply!
BEAUTY IN TODAY
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Thanks for visiting with us today! I hope I’ve helped you feel encouraged! – Kristi
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Work looks a lot like play for Kristi Cain and includes freelance writing for Crosswalk, inspirational blogging, writing fantastical stories of Christian fiction, teaching English to teens, and being able to say, “I’m a former journalist.” Home is nestled in the Smoky Mountain foothills with her husband and teenage children. If you ever want a little encouragement in your day, check out her newsletter. Hop over to her website for her latest happenings and join her Facebook group, a fun, faith-based community.
Cain’s life experiences and faith journey have lent her the lens through which she shapes stories of unlocking the light of destiny out of darkness. Through her writing, she hopes to encourage people to understand that the difficult places in life can be the very ingredients that shape the greatest destinies.
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Cainspirations by author Kristi Cain 