"Are We There Yet?"

 

“Are We There Yet?”

 

Not long ago I heard a speaker (I can’t recall who it was) say that the most common question during a family road trip was (and probably still is) “Are we there yet?” We heard this often when our kids were small and it still pops up occasionally in Karen’s and my travels. It was a seven hour drive from our first church to my parents’ home on Long Island so there were many repetitions of this inquiry from the back seat. Before one such journey when Dave was about three we told him he could only ask it three times, a quota which was reached in the first twelve miles.

A related question is “How long?” It’s one repeated numerous times in Scripture. For example (emphasis added in each case):

“How long will this man (Moses) be a snare to us?” (Exodus 10:7, spoken by Pharaoh).

“How long will you waver between two opinions?” (1 Kings 18:21, spoken by Elijah to Israel).

“How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” (Nehemiah 2:6, spoken by King Artaxerxes to Nehemiah).

“How long will you torment me and crush me with words?” (Job 19:2, spoken by Job to his “friends”).

“How long will you keep us in suspense?” (John 10:24, spoken by the Jews to Jesus).

“How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” (Revelation 6:10, asked by martyrs in Heaven).

 The Hebrew and Greek phrases suggest “When will the/my/our desired results be achieved?” or “When will the/my/our circumstances change?” I know these questions have been in my mind and on my lips many times—maybe you can say the same.

But when it comes to our growth in our faith the answer to “Are we/Am I there yet?” is a firm “no” until we’re with our Savior. The Apostle Paul states, “I feel sure that the one who has begun his good work in you will go on developing it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6, Phillips, emphasis added). So while we’re on this earth we’re works in progress which won’t be completed until we’re in Heaven. “How long” will this be? Only God knows. But until then Jesus admonishes us to “Do business till I come.” (Luke 19:13, NKJV). So let’s keep at it (whatever “it” is for each of us) until He calls us Home.

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan