“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father…Therefore keep watch, because you do not know what day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24: 36 & 42 NIV)

I have a dog door into my front porch so the dogs can go in to get out of the wet and cold. I also have a large, comfortable dog shelter on my front deck where they may take refuge in a storm.

And yet, when I am away for the day, and it has been raining all day and is still raining upon my arrival home, where are the dogs? In the porch? In the dog shelter? No, they are faithfully sitting out on the deck in the pouring rain, watching the gate for my arrival. When I leave, they have no idea when I will be back, only I know that. But they believe that I will be and thus they sit and wait. And I know that they have been waiting unsheltered all day, for they are all soaked through to the skin and cold, even though they could have been warm and dry.

Such loyalty and faithfulness, reminds me of our need, as God’s people to be like my faithful bunch. Jesus is coming again. We know this for a fact, because the Bible tells us so and the Scriptures have proved themselves true over and over again. And yet, how vigilant are we in regards to keeping watch faithfully for His return through our prayers, our witness to those not yet saved and the way we conduct our daily lives? Are we willing to do the hard things? To sit out in the rain, so to speak, in regards to perhaps being unpopular for our views. Or giving up some television time, some sleep or time with friends to attend prayer meeting or go away by ourselves to pray? And how often is it just easier to go along with the way of the world than to do the right thing, the just thing, the thing that Jesus would do?

Can I honestly say that I am always faithfully and diligently watching? Can you? I know for myself the answer is sometimes, no. I am guilty like Jesus’ disciples were when His soul, was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death, and He asked them to stay and keep watch with Him. Only to find them sound asleep when He returned.

And like those first disciples, I need to make a point, when I am not as vigilant and faithful as I should be to remember His next words to them:

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” (Matthew 26:41 NIV)

Prayer: Father God, thank You that we can know and count on the fact that Jesus is coming again. And though we do not know the hour or the day, continue to nudge us to be faithful in our vigilance. That we might not neglect our witness to the unsaved. Our life of prayer, that has the power to move mountains. And our daily conduct that should be such that others too might be aware that we are faithful in our watch for the coming of Our Lord. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Lynne Phipps