“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” (Matthew 24:42, ESV)
Recently, my sleep was interrupted by a single beep. Then long seconds of silence. Did I really hear something? Beep. More silence. Finally, I forced myself out of bed to find the source of the annoying beep. I suspected a dead battery in either the smoke alarm or the carbon monoxide detector. I knew I was safe, but I needed to take care of the alarm. The next time, it might signal a real emergency.
We are surrounded by a variety of warning alerts. One day every month the emergency warning sirens in my area are tested. I know the day and time of the test, so I do not panic when it promptly goes off at 11 A.M. on the set day. But recently that same siren went off in the early evening. This was no test; a severe storm was upon us. I went to my safe place until the storm passed.
We pay attention to fire alarms, severe weather warnings, alarms in our home, and alarms on our autos that warn us if we get too close to other vehicles. But are we as in tune with the sounds of the Lord’s return for His people?
Luke 12:40 tells us, “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (ESV).
As a child of God, we realize the necessity of staying alert. Scripture tells us that the Lord’s return will be like a thief in the night. While we may not know the exact day or the hour, we do know the signs that will precede His coming.
- Not everyone will believe that the Lord will return.
Second Peter 3, verses 3 and 4 tell us:
Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming?” (ESV)
Verse 9 assures us that “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness” (ESV). Yes, the Lord will return. He promised, and He keeps His word.
- There will be turmoil on the earth.
Matthew 24:3-14 talks about false Christs, wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. Iniquity will increase and love will decrease. But during this time, His Word will also spread to the farthermost points of the world.
Verse 14 says, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (ESV).
- Stay awake and alert.
We already see the signs of the Lord’s return happening around us. As we read Matthew 24 and other passages of Scripture, we can match these verses with events from our daily news. Now is not the time to relax our guard and grow careless in our walk with the Lord. When we read the parable of the ten virgins, we find that five had allowed their lamps to go out. It was only after the call went out that the bridegroom was near that they hurried to obtain some oil. They were careless and unprepared to meet him and missed the wedding.
Luke 21:36 warns us:
“But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (ESV)
Devotion by Mary Loudermilk
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