Read: Luke 17:20-37

By: Pastor Jarren Rogers

“Bodies will push back dirt and break the surface of the sea. The earth will tremble, the sky will roar, and those who do not know Him will shudder. But in that hour you will not fear, because you know Him.” – Max Lucado

What Jesus spoke was true.

“‘The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it’” (Luke 17:22).

Do you long to see the day that the Son of Man comes back to earth? Do you long for the day when the trumpets will sound, the clouds will part, and Christ will come in all of His glory? Do you long for the long-awaited return of our Messiah?

It seems as if every day the world gets a little darker. People get meaner. Divisions lengthen. Words cut deeper. People become more oppressed. It is when everything around us seems to be surrounded in darkness that the glimmer of hope found in Christ’s return radiates like the sun.

When are you coming, O’ Lord? We await your return with open hearts and open hands. Renew our land and save us from this pit. We desire the wholeness and fullness that your return will bring? Wait no longer O’ God.

It’s because the news from around the world weighs heavily on your heart and hatred for your neighbor is prevalent in your community. It’s because death and disease have their grip on creation. It’s because fear and depression choke your friends and family. That is why we long to see the coming of the Lord.

But we do not wait stationary, Lord for there is work to do. We weave your reconciliation and your love into our daily lives. Every endeavour speaks of your grace and every action speaks of your goodness. We do your work in creation. We are your hands and feet.

Lord, while we wait, use us. Fill us with your Spirit and enable us to go out into our broken world, into our hurting communities, into our neighbor’s household to spread your Word, your Life and your Truth.

Fill us with a divine sadness. Break our heart for that which breaks yours. Then use us to do something about it. Fill us with a divine anger. Make us angry for what makes you angry. Then use us to do something about it.

Oh God, use us as your kingdom builders here on earth. Use us, so the crowd that is gathered up in the clouds upon your return would be multiplied and filled with our neighbors, our family, our coworkers, our friends.