"Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch."
Mark 13:33-37
God asks us to watch and pray so that we can be ready for what is to come. I feel like that is really good advice, whether it is the foretold second coming, as in these verses, or just what is going to happen tomorrow. God can prepare us for both, and one leads to the other. Even in the parable of the ten virgins the lesson isn't just be prepared for a specific dinner, but be prepared in general. Always be ready, whether it is to go into the Lord's supper, or if it is just to respond to his promptings today.
Always being ready can seem stressful, like we're always expecting an emergency and freaking ourselves out, but I don't think that is what the Lord means here. I think it is more about habits and attitude--making sure that we always have a supply of oil for our lamps, and making sure that we're practicing how to be observant and notice spiritual signs and the hand of God in our lives. As we practice the small things that God is teaching us, we will be prepared for larger things. Today, let's watch and pray, as he suggests, and be ready for whatever the Lord has in mind for us. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment