So you, too, must keep watch! For you don't
know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly
when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be
broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come
when least expected. Matthew
24:42-44
Keep watch. There is a wonderful use of
this phrase in the Old Testament. It may have little if anything to do with being
ready for the Lord’s return…but I loved the image of the Lord watching over my
lips and my heart—so that I wouldn’t say or do anything evil.
Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep
watch over the door of my lips. Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to
practice deeds of wickedness with men who do iniquity; and do not let me eat of
their delicacies. Psalm 141:3-4 NASB
David wrote this Psalm as a prayer to the Lord
for His help in keeping him from even fellowshipping with ungodly people. That is
a good step in being prepared…yet those are the very people that we may need to
reach for the Lord. Don’t let evil into your life…but do share the Good News of
Jesus as King and Judge with others. There is a delicate balance there that we
all must consider. Keep watch over the
door of my lips. Guarding our hearts
and tongues provides the integrity that demonstrates we live the way God wants
us to live.
 |
| Keep Watch Don't fall into an abyss. Follow the light. |
Keep watch. There are people saying that
the Rapture will happen soon…and others who say that it won’t happen this year.
Jesus’ advice was to be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will
come when least expected. What must we do to “be ready”? This is a spiritual battle—a spiritual realm. It won’t
make any difference if we board up our houses, wash our clothes or prepare a
big feast. What will matter is what matters to God.
For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of
what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the
Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and
others will approve of you, too. Romans 14:17-18
Keep watch and be prepared. Don’t let your
spiritual guard down. Be alert.
For we are not fighting against
flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen
world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in
the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12
Are you ready for Christ’s return?
Prayer
~ Lord, watch over us, help us to see any errors or weak areas of our lives and
give us strength to change—to be more like You. May our lives be filled with
the goodness, peace, and joy of the Holy Spirit—and may all that we think, say
and do please You.
Daily
Bible Reading: Esther 1-5
© 2018 Text and
photos by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
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