“for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:2

In October 2003, a string of Southern California wildfires eventually claimed two-dozen lives. The flames moved at a speed faster than people could flee. Responding to complaints that some residents did not receive enough warning, Sgt. Conrad Grayson said, “We’re begging people to leave, and they don’t take us seriously. They want to pack some clothes, or fight it in the backyard with a garden hose. They don’t seem to understand that this is unlike any fire we’ve seen. If people don’t move fast, they’re going to become charcoal briquettes.”

In rural East San Diego County, the fast-moving Cedar fire, sparked by a lost hunter, surprised fire officials by how fast it spread. Jon Smalldridge was in East San Diego County, and was warned by his dog. He soon began to frantically warn his neighbors, only to have some disregard him or respond too casually.

He told of those who tried to save their televisions and computers before escaping. “They looked like they were packing for a trip. The ones who listened to me and left the area, lived. The ones who didn’t, died.”

The Lord is not slow, but patient, wanting everyone to be saved. But at the end of His patience, He will come again. Today in prayer, rejoice that the Lord will return and seek to be prepared for that day.

“Just as a thief comes in the night, when no one expects him, so too, the Day of the Lord will come when people are feeling safe and secure.” – Brian Bill

God’s Word: “But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” – Luke 12:39-40

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2004, Devotional E-Mail DEVOTIONS IN THESSALONIANS pkennedy@devotional.com