Look forward eagerly for the Lord’s appearing.

“Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20

The day before my husband was to return home from a business trip my son said, “Mom! I want Daddy to come home.” I asked him why, expecting him to say something about the presents his daddy usually brings back or that he missed playing ball with him. But with solemn seriousness he answered, “I want him to come back because I love him!”

His answer made me think about our Lord and His promise to come back. “I am coming soon,” Jesus says (Rev. 22:20). I long for His return, but why do I want Him to come back? Is it because I will be in His presence, away from sickness and death? Is it because I am tired of living in a difficult world? Or is it because when you’ve loved Him so much of your life, when He has shared your tears and your laughter, when He has been more real than anybody else, you want to be with Him forever?

I’m glad my son misses his daddy when he’s away. It would be terrible if he didn’t care at all about his return or if he thought it would interfere with his plans. How do we feel about our Lord’s return? Let us long for that day passionately, and earnestly say, “Lord, come back! We love You.”

Lord, please come back soon!

热切盼望主再来。

“是了，我必快来！”阿们！主耶稣啊，我愿祢来！-启示录22章20节

在我丈夫出差回来的前一天，儿子对我说：“妈妈！我希望爸爸赶快回来。”我问他为什么，我以为他可能会说：爸爸每次都会带礼物回来，或是想和爸爸一起玩球。但是，我猜错了。他慎重认真地回答我说：“我希望爸爸快点回来，因为我爱他！”

儿子给我的回复，不禁让我想起主耶稣，以及祂要再来的应许。耶稣说：“我必快来！”(启示录22章20节) 我渴望祂再来，但我为什么期盼祂再来呢？难道是因为到了那天，我就可以站在祂面前，不再受病痛死亡的威胁吗？还是因为我对生活在这个纷乱的世界感到厌倦？或是因为我们全心爱祂，因为祂分享了我们的泪水与欢笑，因为祂与我们的关系十分密切，所以我们渴望永远与祂在一起？

知道当丈夫不在的时候，儿子会想念他，这让我感到欣慰。如果他一点也不在意爸爸何时回来，或是认为爸爸回来会打乱他原本的计划，那是多么可怕啊！我们又是如何回应主耶稣的再来呢？愿我们都热切渴望主再来的那一天，并且由衷地说：“主啊！愿祢快来！我们爱祢！”

主啊！愿祢快来！

Read:

Revelation 22:12-21NIV

12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you[a] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

整理：于姊妹