Copied From Our Daily Bread
2012-05-20
Prepared For
The Real Thing
— by Joe Stowell
Our Daily Bread Radio is hosted by Les Lamborn
Read : Luke 12:35-40
12:36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for
their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and
knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
12:37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when
he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird
himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
12:38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or
come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
12:39 And this know, that if the goodman of the
house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not
have suffered his house to be broken through.
Therefore you
also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. —Luke
12:40
Bible in a Year : Job
21-24
Through the years, quite a few people have predicted the return of Jesus
at a specific time.
Just last year an American radio
preacher stirred up the interest of the mainstream media with his prediction
that Jesus would return on May 21, 2011.
Anyone who knows Scripture well knew that this advance warning wasn’t
accurate, because Jesus Himself said His return would be “at an hour you do not expect” (Luke 12:40).
But I do have to admit that this prediction captured my attention.
Often I get so caught up in the busyness of life that I live as though
Jesus’ return is some distant reality.
I forget that Jesus could come back at any time.
The prediction, wrong as it was, reminded me about the importance of being
prepared for my Savior’s return, and it renewed my excitement that it could be
any day—even today.
Sometimes when we think of being ready for Jesus’ return, we think about
what we shouldn’t be doing.
But being prepared is really about purifying ourselves and becoming more
and more like Him so we are pleasing to Him when He comes back for us (1 John 3:2-3).
3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons
of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he
shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Jesus taught that being ready for His return requires living according to
our Master’s will now (Luke 12:47)
12:47 And that
servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself , neither did
according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes .
Will we be prepared when it’s time
for the real thing?
Keep me praying,
keep me trusting
Every step along life’s way!
Keep me waiting, keep me watching,
For He may return today! —Thiesen
Look for Christ’s
return and you’ll live for Christ’s glory.
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