Time To Wake Up

Daily Devotional: Day 64

“Watch therefore – for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning – lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Watch” (Mark 13:35-37, RSV).

Jesus shall surely return to judge the living and the dead, and inaugurate a new heaven and a new earth. Throughout the Bible, he has given us clear signs to look for, indicating that his coming is near. He gave us these signs because he loves us and doesn’t want to find us unprepared. Staying awake is, therefore, part of being a Christian. Today’s Bible text is taken from an extended passage in which Jesus instructs his disciples about what to expect regarding the end of this world and the ushering in of the new heaven and new earth. After giving them details about signs of the end, he commands them to watch. Note what Jesus says at the end: “And what I say to you I say to all: Watch.” This means that the message he gave to the disciples is addressed to us also. And the keyword is watch. I looked up the verb “to watch” in Google and this is the definition it gave, “look at or observe attentively, typically over a period of time.” This means Jesus wants you to be attentive, alert and vigilant, carefully observing the signs of the times, so that you can discern their implication for the end times.

Jesus’ return will be sudden. How do you stay awake and keep watch? The “sleep” Jesus speaks about is a metaphor. It refers to the state of mind where people go about their normal lives without paying attention to the events occurring around them. It further refers to people’s inability to interpret the signs of the times in light of the Scriptures. Due to this inability, many people shall be caught off guard by the Second Coming of Christ. But God wants his children, Christians, to heed the words of Jesus. He wants us to pray and be spiritually sensitive to our environment. We live in world where many people are distracted by the cares of life, the obsession and fascination with electronic devises, and the glamor of entertainment; in addition to the increasing attack on Jesus, the Church, and the Bible. This development has made it even harder for Christians to be spiritually vigilant and alert. But today, God wants you to examine your state of readiness for the return of Christ. Study the Bible and look out for the signs of the end times. Stay awake and be ready to greet Jesus when he appears suddenly.

Prayer:

Dear Father, thank you for giving us the signs of the end times. Dispel every darkness from my life. Enable me to watch and be ready to welcome your Son anytime he appears. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

For further study: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-28