Revelation 22:7 Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.
Our Lord, come! The Aramaic word maranatha was a watchword that reminded believers in Christ to live in readiness, focusing on their spiritual growth rather than earthly struggles that were many during the Roman persecution of Christ’s followers. The Maranatha statement was a prayerful declaration of longing for Christ’s return. We are to align this statement with our faith, which should inspire a cry from our hearts that causes us to look forward to Christ’s return. If we are not looking forward to the return of Christ, then our lives may be too invested in this world’s offerings. I’m not saying we shouldn’t look forward to living the life God gave us; I’m asking whether we have become more devoted to the worldliness around us than to the assignment God has placed on our lives. This is not an easy tightrope to walk. We are to live in the fullness of God’s gift of life, while at the same time, be enthusiastic about His return for His church. Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
How do we live out these two expectations of God at once? One thing I have noticed in my heart is that when I am struggling and have fallen into sin and iniquity, there is a desperate desire to escape this world. Then, when more temptations arise that are too difficult to overcome, my cry is “Our Lord, come!” Yes, Jesus, get me off this planet so I do not suffer the pain and degradations of life and have to continue living in this struggle. However, when I am walking in the Lord’s forthrightness and victories, I do not seem to care whether there is a Maranatha moment ahead, because everything is moving along smoothly. I feel like the Apostle Paul when he describes his war of the soul in chapter 7 of Romans. When we do not have it together in our relationship with God, we want out. When we are satisfied in our hearts with the love God has been showing us, we glow in joy and feel like life is wonderful.
What is this fickleness of the heart we are going through? Why are North Americans putting their hope in being rescued and raptured from this earth, while the rest of the world is praying for God’s kingdom to come and rule on earth? Why have we lost our Maranatha heart? The prophet Haggai had to minister to a similar situation. The post-exilic people of Judah had drifted into complacency within their faith. Serving God had become a ho-hum attitude towards the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. The people had lost their vision for what God wanted for them. Hag. 1:2 Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built. Haggai urged the remnant to stop neglecting the call to rebuild the Temple of the Lord and consider how they were living. Hag. 1:5 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. They had lost the joy of the Lord.
The loss of vision for the things of God is a common theme throughout the Bible. Whenever one generation leaves this earth and is gone, the next generation would forget everything they had known about God and would rebel. Judg. 21:25 In those days, there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. What seems to be common is that the moment the relationship between God and man is left in man’s hands, it is not long before man is walking away from God, wandering in a wilderness of their own making. Man’s priority is not God, nor is it to fulfil what God asks of them. Humanity tends to wait until they are in crisis mode before they even think about calling on God for help. Why are we so slow within our souls to respond to God? 1Cor. 2:14 But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.
The Word of God continually exhorts us to come to God daily. To bring all of our concerns, needs, and desires to Him in prayer. The Lord wants us to be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit and seek God at all times for the grace that is needed to live in His presence. Heb. 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Grace and mercy are exactly what we need every moment of the day. How can we cry “Maranatha” if we do not know the one we are crying after? Yes, Oh Lord, come and lead us and guide our choices to reflect the deep work You are doing in our hearts. Continue, Lord God, to write the story of our lives to be a hand extended that leads people to our Saviour. Heb. 12:2a Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
As we watch the world burn like a dumpster fire, it is tempting to want to get off this spinning planet that is being run by the insane. Rather than escaping this worldly version of living, let us be vessels who contain the healing balm of the Holy Spirit, who can heal the corrupted heart of man. As Jesus said in Luke 11:2, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Yes, Lord, Your kingdom come and rule amongst your people so that the blessings of heaven may be as real on earth as they are in heaven. Help us mature in the faith so that we may live in peace and also say with certainty, “Maranatha, Our Lord, come!”
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