Six months ago, my son Tristan and I embarked on reading through the entirety of Scripture together… and as of yesterday, we finished that journey!
Over these many months, I've been writing a series of devotionals based on what we were reading. I entitled those devotionals HIS WORD | FOR ME… FOR YOU.
Each week, I shared with you what God's Word was teaching, challenging, encouraging, or reminding me of. And the beauty of being in God's Word is that WITHOUT FAIL, His Word ALWAYS has something for me. And as a reminder, every time you open God's Word, WITHOUT FAIL, He has something for you as well.
As I finished the last book in the New Testament (Revelation), I was reminded of something I often forget… JESUS IS COMING SOON.
Now for the sake of clarity, that's not what I needed reminding of. Rather, what I needed to be reminded of is a prayer I don't pray all that often.
See that prayer in Revelation 22:20…
"Come, Lord Jesus."
If you pray that prayer often, well done… KEEP PRAYING THAT!
But if you're like me and it's been some time since you've prayed those three words, I invite you to wrestle with the question the LORD posed to me… WHY NOT?
In other words, WHY don't I pray that prayer… like every day?
I'm guessing there are a few different reasons for that, but the one reason that stands head and shoulders above the rest is this…
I'M NOT READY.
And again, for the sake of clarity, I don't mean "not ready" in a salvific way. Rather, that there are still things I'd love to see and be part of before He returns.
For example…
I want to see my kids grow up, get married, and have children — hence, be a Papa.
There are family and friends who don't yet know Jesus, and I want them to know Him before He returns.
There are things I'd still love to see happen with GENESIS, namely, helping more people walk with God.
I'm not a huge fan of traveling, but truth be told, I'd still love to spend a week or two in the Maldives before I enter eternity.
Clearly, none of those things is wrong in and of itself — in fact, all of those things are good things! But here's what each of them reveals to me: there's something in my heart that isn't fully convinced that heaven — namely, being in the presence of Jesus — is better than anything that might happen this side of heaven.
To be clear, theologically speaking, I wholeheartedly believe that even the greatest things that could happen this side of heaven will pale in comparison to being in the presence of Jesus. I truly believe that!
But practically speaking, I can't ignore or casually brush aside the fact that I'm not praying "Come, Lord Jesus" each and every day.
If you're able to relate to this at any level, please don't be discouraged or disheartened. And here's why…
Following John's prayer in Revelation 22:20, the very last verse in the entirety of God's Word says this:
"May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's holy people."
Revelation 22:21 (NLT)
GRACE.
So grateful for the grace that God gives you and me, all day, every day.
And just so you know, grace is so much more than pardon — it's also POWER. In other words, what sustains you and me to live the lives God calls us to live this side of our home in heaven with Jesus is His GRACE.
Six months ago, Tristan and I opened to Genesis 1:1. Yesterday, we closed the book on Revelation 22. And somehow, God made sure the very last word we read wasn't judgment, or even that long-awaited "soon" — it was GRACE.
That's not an accident. That's the whole story in one word.
I still don't pray "Come, Lord Jesus" as often as I’d like, but I'm learning afresh that the same grace that saved me is the same grace that's patient with my "not yet."
God’s grace is not just pardon for my past — it's POWER for my present, sustaining me right in the middle of wanting both Jesus and a few more years with the people and places I love.
So, wherever you are today — ready to pray ‘Come, Lord Jesus’ daily, or still working up to it — please know God’s grace is sufficient for you today, tomorrow and until we meet Jesus face to face in our eternal home.
