Weather delayed my flight home from Tampa to Dallas. Traveling is tiresome and delays make it worse. I had parked my car in long-term parking, so I needed to hop a bus to the lot. The bus was parked there and I ran to catch it. I jumped on before the doors closed. Naturally, once I was on, I wanted it to leave immediately. This weary traveler wasn’t considering that others might want to get on the bus too. My only interest was getting to my car and then home.

I wonder if we have this attitude about our salvation. The bus to salvation is faith that Jesus has saved us from the penalty of our sins. John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” I’m so grateful that God waited for me to get on the bus to salvation before He closed the doors and pulled away.

Now that I’m on, I often pray for Jesus to come again soon without thinking about the consequences to others if He comes before they believe. If Jesus had come again twenty years ago, I would be in hell right now. Literal hell—separated from God for all eternity. If Jesus comes today, all who have not yet accepted Him as Savior will face His judgment. Hell is real and no one wants to go there.

My bus driver waited a minute and then two. I started to get frustrated. Eventually another person got on the bus. If we would have missed the bus to long-term parking, another one would have come shortly. Not so with the bus to heaven. There won’t be another bus. Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed to man once to die, and then the judgment.”

I admit to not being the most patient person. I want Jesus to come today. Still, I would rather wait for you to get on the bus rather than have it leave without you. Maybe Jesus hasn’t come yet because you aren’t yet on the bus. Is it possible that Jesus is delaying His return because He is patiently waiting for you, so that YOU will be saved? Just believe that He died for your sins and rose from the dead. Receive Him as your Savior today. The bus could pull away at any moment.