Self-absorbed days

I have been using the Kevin DeYoung book, The Good News We Almost Forgot, as a devotional for just over two weeks. What a wonderful journey it has been so far. As DeYoung unpacks the Heidelberg Catechism, the beauty of this creed is brought to life. And the Creed itself is a moving piece of literature, powerful without any commentary. I highly recommend it.

Today I read the Catechism's questions contained in the 19th Lord's Day reading. In that reading appears the following question and answer:

Q. How does Christ's return "to judge the living and the dead" comfort you?

A. In all my distress and persecution I turn my eyes to the heavens and confidently await as judge the very One who has already stood trial in my place before God and so has removed the whole curse from me. All his enemies and mine he will condemn to everlasting punishment: but me and all his chosen ones he will take along with him into the joy and the glory of heaven.

Here is a small excerpt from DeYoung's commentary on this section:

When you stand before the holy Son of God at the end of the age and all your deeds and thoughts are laid bare for the whole world to see-all your petty jealousies, all your lustful glances, all your murderous thoughts, all your self-absorbed days-there will be nothing to fear. There is no chance that Christ will look you up and down and cry out "Curse this one!" because HE already became a curse for us. We can no more be condemned at the throne of God's judgment than God can condemn Himself a second time.

This is wonderful news! It's wonderful, particularly for me, because one phrase pierces my soul this morning; self-absorbed days. Too many of my days, most of my days, are self-absorbed. Too much of my focus, most of my focus, is on my rights and my needs and my ill-contrived sense of what I deserve. Thank God that Christ absorbed the wrath of God for all my self-absorbed days. There is great comfort in looking to the return of Christ because all that self-absorption will not condemn me and those dreadful days will be replaced with innumerable Christ-absorbed days where we worship Him in glory!