Lord Jesus, Come Right Now!

By David Ettinger

Morbid Headlines
Every morning I check the headlines. This morning, two particularly galling headlines were so morbid, they had be saying: “Lord Jesus, Come Right Now!” Neither of these headlines had to do with riots, Covid-19, or politics. Rather, they concerned matters much closer to the heart, the inner sanctum of the soul where words fail miserably.

The First Headline
The first headline read: “Father Kills Terminally Ill Daughter, Himself.” I couldn’t bring myself to click on the story; I didn’t need to. The facts seemed evident.

Knowing his darling 11-year-old princess was dying and suffering immensely, the man could no longer bear it. In his wretched despair he sought to end their suffering, and acted in a matter which accomplished it.

Was this the actual scenario, I don’t know, but it’s what I imagined. I was able to imagine it because as I single father of one child, I was able to place myself in this man’s shoes. My son Aaron, who is now 36, was 2 when his mother and I divorced, and I raised Aaron as what he was: the love of my life.

Despite being divorced, I was a 7-day-a-week father, and raising Aaron to adulthood was the driving focus of my life. I often feared I would lose him; that I would outlive him. I feared something terrible would befall him, whether a fatal traffic accident or disease.

Had this happened – and despite my faith in the Lord Jesus – I don’t know if I could have gone on living. If Aaron had died at age 11, I have no idea what I would have done.

Father’s Day 2020 with my son Aaron and grandson Zac.

The Second Headline
The second headline reads: “Grandmother Loses Her Life Protecting 4-year-old During Powerful Storm.”

If my son Aaron is the love of my life, my grandson Zac – who turns 4 December 1 – is the joy of my life. Admittedly, when I read the headline, I misread it as both the grandmother and grandson dying. However, it was just the grandmother who died – while clutching her beloved grandson.

I did click on this story and saw a picture of the two from happier days; the grandmother embracing her chubby little angel (who bears a striking resemblance to Zac) and him smiling in delight. I could only imagine the fear that struck both of them as the storm toppled their trailer home and the grandmother holding on to her grandson for dear life – both of their lives.

Naturally I put myself into the grandmother’s situation, and it rocked me to my core.

The Return of Christ
Of course such horrors – and so many more – occur every day on this evil planet, but these two, because I could so easily relate to them, had me reeling. To outlive my son or to not have many years with my precious grandson is too much for me to consider. And yet, both are entirely possible as this sin-sick orb upon which we exist grows ever darker. Such realities make me cry out, “Lord Jesus, delay no longer: Come right now!”

A few days ago with my grandson Zac.

Of course, the return of Christ is to be preceded by several events, so He will not return “at any moment.” Furthermore, as I have written about before, there are still many people in my life who have not accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and the longer it takes for Him to return, the better the odds of them coming to faith.

But despite all this, sometimes the horrors of this world have me wishing for the immediate return of Christ, that He may at last put an end to all the wretchedness and usher in His glorious kingdom. This thought comforts me, as does the truth that at that time:

“The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert, His righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest” (Isaiah 32:16-18) and “Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces” (Isaiah 25:8).

Oh for that day!

Tagged: Morbid Headlines, Our Evil Rule, Sons and Grandsons, The Coming Kingdom of Christ, The Return of Christ

Posted in: Bible teaching, Christ's Deity, Christianity, Comfort, Commentary, Culture, Current Events, Devotional, Editorial/Blog, God's promises, Jesus My Savior, Loving God, Old Testament, Personal testimony, Practical, Resting in Jesus, The Coming Messiah, The Return of Christ