Focus

Let yourself become open to God and the knowledge that comes from the Word. Ask God for peace at this time.

Read

Mark 13:32-37 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

Reflect

Sometimes I feel there can be an unnatural preoccupation with the end times. Preachers, teachers, and Christians can get bogged down in the “Day of the Lord.” The technicalities of when Jesus will return, if or when there will be a rapture, and things like when the 1,000 years of peace will happen.
I work with people who like to dream big dreams. Something akin to when I am talking to my own kids, or kids at the church and they start dreaming of big careers and how “one day” they are going to be the biggest thing since sliced bread. Adults too, like to think of all the things they are going to do “one day.” “One day” they are going to be the boss. “One day” they are going to get things right in their life. “One day” they will have respect. When people start talking about “one day” I usually ask them, “what are you doing now that will lead to “that day?” Unfortunately, most of the time these same people are not preparing today for anything that will help them achieve all those goals “one day.”

When Jesus teaches about “that day” he does so in the context of THIS day. We are to be fully awake, attentive to what we are doing now. We are to live in such a way that we are preparing for “that day.” Christians are supposed to be dreamers, but our dreams of “that day” must be grounded in the reality of THIS day. We are to make the most of every opportunity because we never know when “that day” will come. We do know, however, that THIS day is today. Go, THIS day, be attentive to God, redeem THIS day, make the most of every opportunity.

Pray

Gracious God, help us to see this day as a time of preparation, work, and redemption. Help us to do the work you have set before us, not being lost in a future time. Amen

Go with God!