Wanna Get Away?

This post is something I wrote for our church's daily devotional - Vertical. Seemed like I should share it with others by way of this blog also. The passage I am writing about is Revelation 21:1-7. Enjoy!


You’ve all heard it. By now it's a very familiar sound and phrase.


“Ding. Wanna get away?”




Southwest Airlines’ brilliant ad campaign appeals to all of us who desperately want to escape the hopeless situations we sometimes find ourselves in. I don’t know about you, but I’ve really been longing for some sort of getaway lately. I mean, can this world and the politics in the United States get any crazier?




But, before we think we are in the worst situation ever, let’s take a minute to put things in proper historical context. What was the world really like when the apostle John wrote these words in the Book of Revelation anyway?




Well, he was in exile because of his witness for Christ; it was a time of severe persecution for Christians. The Jerusalem temple had already been destroyed. People were being punished for not worshiping the emperor. Cruel, paranoid tyrants were in power; they sought to control public and private morals. Wars and chaos were abundant; heavy taxation dominated people's lives. Anarchy and lawlessness was everywhere: marriages of convenience and for political expediency, untold questionable activities by the political elite, power-hungry leaders oftentimes exercised absolute political power.




What do you think? Sound familiar?




“Ding. Wanna get away?”


Yes, John was in a terrible place. The world around him was a mess; so many things he valued were gone: his Lord Jesus, his friends, his hope? But God gave him a vision and told him He had everything under control. God showed John that if he focused on the Lord’s return, not the circumstances around him, he could survive and even thrive. He became more concerned with the second coming of Jesus than with the political situation of his times.


We should not expect everything to be right here on this earth because of the inescapable presence of sin; this world will always be marred by sin and disobedience. But one day, sin will be gone and God will make everything new.




Next time you want to escape, remember this:




“Ding. Jesus is coming back. It may be soon!”




When things don't seem right in this world, remember God has a plan; He'll make everything right in His time. You can count on that! The ultimate issue of our day is Jesus' victory over sin and death and His soon and coming return.


Maranatha!