But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Phil. 3:20)
A SIREN SIGNALS that something out of the ordinary deserves our attention. Sometimes it’s an ambulance carrying someone in desperate need of medical help to a hospital. Maybe the siren sounds from a fire engine racing toward a quickly spreading house fire. Every now and then you might hear a siren right behind you, as a traffic officer is about to remind you that you’re traveling fifteen miles an hour over the speed limit. In a Midwestern town, you might even hear a siren announcing the approach of a tornado. But in every case, good citizens heed the sirens they hear.
The same is true for citizens of heaven. When we hear and see the Lord’s signals in and around us, we need to remember that something out of the ordinary deserves our attention. That was Paul’s message to the Philippians as he reminded the early Christians to watch and listen in expectation of Jesus’ return. Throughout the Bible, no one makes light of that day. Yet at the same time, Paul (and Jesus, for that matter) addressed the event in the context of hope, even joy.
So instead of feeling a sense of dread as we often feel when we hear sirens in our everyday lives, we can take encouragement that Paul said we should look forward in eager anticipation of our Lord’s return!
Write down three things that indicate you are a citizen of heaven.
Steve Wamberg is a husband, dad, writer, and pastor who loves his family, preaching, teaching, music, coffee, friends, and Nebraska football.
