LEARNING DAILY

 

Luke 12:40, “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”     Jesus

 

The last verse from the parable of the watchful servants is pretty clear that we are to be spiritually ready because the Lord will return at an uncertain time.  Jesus gave another parable after this one in which He told about two possible lifestyles of His disciples (that would include us today) during His absence and promised return.  One way finds His followers being faithful and obedient, always watching and ready for His return.  We have already seen that those who are living this way will receive their Master’s reward or blessing.  There is always the possibility for another way of life occurring.  One’s walk can grow careless and worldly-minded, believing that the Lord’s return is far into the future.  This attitude of carelessness can cause you to resist sin and do things that God does not approve of. 

 

Be ready!  Be alert!  What does that look like?  Conversely, what causes us to not be alert, to not be ready?

 

It seems to me that a lot of this has to be due to our attitude toward sin. When we indulge ourselves with certain sins, we immediately start to lose our sensitivity or our awareness.  Sometimes we can fool ourselves; we know that we should not be doing ______ (You fill in the blank.) but we indulge and do it anyway.  We use forgiveness as a license to sin.  However, indulging the sinful nature prevents us from walking closely with the Lord and being alert to His voice.  This amounts to trading a close walk with the Lord for sin, a trade that is never worth the trouble.  It is deception and the devil uses it to counteract our influence with others.

 

Another area where our ability to be alert is dulled is in our prayer life.  Prayer is a must if we are to be spiritually alert.  When we pray, we become more spiritually in tune to what is happening around is.  When we do not pray, our guard is down.  A pattern or habit of not praying can cause us to be unaware of what is happening around us.

 

Jesus said, “the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”   What do you believe about that statement?  What you do or how you act has a lot to do with what you believe.  If you do not believe this to be true or that He will come in your lifetime, you are very vulnerable to be taken by surprise when He returns.  This is not living life in fear.  It is living the way the Lord desires you to live every day. 

 

I believe that the way life is lived has a lot to do with the preaching in your church and your own personal study.  If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you should want to know what the Bible says, what He said about His return.  The preaching at your church should be helping you grow closer to the Lord, be encouraging you to be prepared and ready, so that if He returns today, this week or next you would not be surprised. 

 

I end today with the same question as yesterday.  If Jesus were to come today, would you be ready?

 

“For this man who needs amazing kind of grace

For forgiveness and a price I couldn’t pay

I’m not perfect so I thank God every day

There was Jesus

There was Jesus!”   Zack Williams

 

Even when I can’t feel it You’re working

You never stop working!    Michael W. Smith

 

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