Going Home

I’ll be honest and say that I’ve never fully understood when people say that they long for Jesus to return. I do want to see Him return and I’m excited about Heaven but to actually long for it? I never fully understood that until today. For some reason, today I’m getting it….I’m starting to understand.

I see the news about the deadly school shooting in the US, I am reminded on facebook that the organization IJM exists because there are sick and evil people out there who stop at nothing to inflict horrendous atrocities on men, women and children. I watch helplessly as people I love and care about battle through the pain of their own disease or the cancer of a loved one. I hear from a friend about a family breaking apart and I read in the church bulletin about the persecuted church and people suffering extreme torture, even death, simply because they have asked Jesus to be their Saviour. I read about the number of children who are aborted in our country each year and I hear on the radio about the debate to set a policy in place that will allow a Doctor to end the life of another human being.

O Lord, how long will this go on? How much more havoc will pain be allowed to make? How much more can people survive? How much more can our world withstand?

“O Lord, the God to whom vengeance belongs, O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice be seen! Arise, O Judge of the earth. Sentence the proud to the penalties they deserve. How long, O Lord? How long…?” Psalm 94:1-3a

I’ve seen and heard these things before….but today….today I feel them. My heart is breaking for individuals I know and love and care about, but it’s also breaking for our fallen world which is in desperate need and terrible pain. Today I’m understanding that longing, for Jesus to return. The whole earth is groaning for it and today my heart is joining in, the longing for Him to remove us from this place of woe and pain is rising within me and pushing aside indifference, busyness, apathy and shouting out from the depths “Come Lord Jesus!!! Come, for it cannot be too soon.”

I’m reminded of a song that used to play, many times on the old record player in our house when I was growing up.

“Maybe one more hour, 

Maybe one more day, 

Until Jesus shall come to catch His bride away. 

No one knows the hour 

But the time is near 

When the trumpet of God shall sound His coming here.

And I’ll be leaving, I’ll be leaving,

No more sorrow or grieving.

I’ll be leaving, I’ll be leaving,

Going on home,

I’ll be going home.”

Going home…….Oh that today could be the day…no more sorrow…no more grieving…

We know what is to come...it’s the pain in the waiting that makes the waiting so incredibly hard.

Until Jesus comes to catch us all away...in these days of waiting, may we cling to these words…

“The Lord hears his people when they call to Him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:17-18

Come Lord Jesus, Come!