"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me

"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be" (Rev. 22:12).

If Jesus said, "Behold I come quickly" why hasn't he yet returned? The word quickly here doesn't mean immediately but suddenly. Like a flash of lighting one of these days Jesus will take the world by storm. The reason he has not yet returned is because he is patiently waiting for people to be saved. The Apostle Peter, when answering the scoffers who mockingly say, "Where is the promise of His coming" wrote, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9).

Jesus has not yet made His glorious appearance because He is mercifully waiting. "He's waiting on your family member, your neighbor, your co-worker, or maybe you, but one of these days soon, and very soon perhaps, Jesus will come. You see, it is the mercy of God that holds back the Second Coming of Jesus, but the justice of God and the judgment of God require that one day He will come. Even now, the raging waters of God's wrath are furiously pounding against the dam of His mercy. And one of these days, the dam of God's mercy will give way to God's judgment, and the Day of the Lord will come" (Adrian Rogers). Until then let's get busy doing God's work with the sure hope and joy of knowing that He will soon return to reward our faithfulness. As my Heart fills will joy and anticipation of the Lord's return I'm reminded of the following great song. Read it, learn it, sing it and be blessed.

"Until Then"

My heart can sing when I pause to remember
A heartache here is but a stepping stone
Along a trail that's winding always upward,
This troubled world is not my final home.

Chorus
But until then my heart will go on singing,
Until then with joy I'll carry on,
Until the day my eyes behold the city,
Until the day God calls me home.

The things of earth will dim and lose their value
If we recall they're borrowed for awhile;
And things of earth that cause the heart to tremble,
Remembered there will only bring a smile.


Chorus
But until then my heart will go on singing,
Until then with joy I'll carry on,
Until the day my eyes behold the city,
Until the day God calls me home.

This weary world with all its toil and struggle
May take its toll of misery and strife;
The soul of man is like a waiting falcon;
When it's released, it's destined for the skies.


Chorus
But until then my heart will go on singing,
Until then with joy I'll carry on,
Until the day my eyes behold the city,
Until the day God calls me home.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!