“He Who testifies these things says, ‘Surely I come quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
Revelation 22:20
It’s been the earnest desire of every believer for the past 2,000 years.
“Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
When you awakened this morning and your eyes saw the morning light, did the words “Could today be the Day?” enter your mind? As you read the headlines or watch/listen to the morning news, did your heart ache within you as you whispered, “Oh Lord, how long, how long?” (Rev. 6:10)?
If so, do not despair—for you’re not alone.
Every generation since Jesus ascended back into Heaven and John penned The Revelation has found themselves longing for His Return. Escalating evil. . .ever-deepening spiritual darkness. . . ever-increasing opposition and persecution by the devil and his demonic cohorts. . .continually remind us that “this world is not our home, we’re just a-passin’ through” and are truly “strangers and pilgrims on this earth” (Heb. 11:13).
Truly, our “citizenship is in Heaven,” not here on earth (Phil. 3:20). And, the longer we live here—and the more heartaches, misery, maladies of mind and body we endure, etc.—the more we yearn for Christ’s Return to “transform these vile bodies by His miraculous Power into glorious Resurrection bodies like His own” (Phil. 3:21).
Won’t that be a wonderful Day, Pilgrim?
Assuredly it will be. Hallelujah!!
That’s why we must stay “focused and faithful as we run the Race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1-2). We must not lose sight of the fact that Jesus is “the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last” (Rev. 22:13). Neither should we forget that “the Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come’ and whoever is thirsty can come and take of the Water of Life freely” (Rev. 22:17). Glory!!
The Samaritan woman was quite thirsty that day when she went to Jacob’s well to fetch water at 12 noon (Jn. 4:1-7a). Yet, her deep thirst was more spiritual than it was physical, for she’d been to the dry wells of Racial and Religious Differences and Rotten Relationships. And, it was only when she accepted Jesus’ offer of “Living Water” that her thirst was quenched (vv.7b-29).
And, the same is still true today.
Only by realizing that we have “no money with which to buy and spend our lives laboring for that which cannot satisfy” (Is. 55:1-2) will we know our need of Christ. But, once He comes to live within our hearts, He whets within us an ever-growing “hungering and thirsting” for Him, His Word, that “Place prepared” (Jn. 14:1-3), etc. And, that’s why we increasingly cry, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Come quickly.”
Until then, we must be found faithful in the Mission He’s given us to do (II Cor. 5:17-21; Mt. 28:18-20). May the Holy Spirit aid us in this Eternal Endeavor today as we go out into the “fields that are white unto harvest” (Jn. 4:35).
By Tom Smith Morning Manna Dated November 7, 2010
