Come, Lord Jesus

I've always been told that when you hear a word or theme repeated it means you should probably start paying attention.  For example, in a Bible passage, if the word Love is in it 10 times, it probably means its pretty important.  Or in my daily walk with God, sometimes the same theme will come out in the Sunday morning sermon, my Monday time of reading the Bible, and through talking to a friend the next day.  Obviously the Spirit is trying to get my attention on the topic.

Lately I have been listening to a lot of new music from a variety of artists and groups.  And a theme has emerged, one that has struck a chord inside.  Here are some of the key lines that have caught my attention:

Aaron Keys:
We are longing, Hope is dawning, Heaven's falling, Come Lord Jesus

Jesus Culture:
My soul longs for you, my soul longs for you
Nothing else will do, nothing else will do
I believe You will come like the rain
I believe You will come like the rain

Hillsong:
I have decided, I have resolved to wait upon You Lord
My Rock and Redeemer, Shield and Reward, I'll wait upon You Lord
As surely as the sun will rise, You'll come to us
Certain as the dawn appears
You'll Come, Let your glory fall as You respond to us
Spirit Reign, flood into our thirsty hearts again
You will come, You will come


The first word that kept catching my attention was "Come."  Usually when I hear the phrase "Come Lord Jesus" it is refering to Jesus return, as in Come back and get us and take us to Heaven.  But these songs are expressing longing and asking Jesus to come to the singer within their present circumstances.  Come Jesus, be present with me where I am, fill me up with you, with hope, with strength. 

Then what caught my attention was the waiting, the longing.  My soul longs for you.  We are longing.  I'll wait upon You Lord.  Right now I'm not going through anything particularily hard myself.  But something inside still resonates so deeply to these thoughts.  The picture of someone facing trouble, facing heart ache but choosing not to loose hope when it feels like God is far away - but choosing to have hope, to long, to pray, to wait, to know that Jesus will come to them.  Jesus will come.  Come like the rain - oh how that would feel to someone living in drought.  Come like the dawn - of how that would feel to someone living in darkness. 

Is it ok for us to express these feelings?  To say to God - where are you?  I need you, please come!?  Are we not supposed to trust that even when we cannot feel Him, He is right there with us?

When I looked for this concept in the Bible, I discovered the Psalms are littered with cries just like this. 

Ps 6:3 - My soul is in deep anguish.  How long, Lord, how long?
Ps. 13:1 - How long will you hide your face from me?
Ps. 22:19 - Come quickly to help me
Ps. 31:2 - Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue, be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress for me
Ps. 71:12 - Do not be far from me, my God, come quickly God to help me

And then this well known promise in Isaiah

Is. 40:31 (KJV) - But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

And Lam 3:25-26 "The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.


So it is good to wait, to hope.  It is good to cry out to Him.  And He will come.