That Day!

That Day!

‭‭Mark‬ ‭13:33‬ ‭TPT‬‬

This is why you must be waiting, watching and praying, because no one knows when that season of time will come.”

As you read the verse above, and the verses before it, you get the clear idea that life will not always continue as it is now. We live in the age the bible refers to as the end times, when there will be wars, earthquakes and different terrible experiences. We can see these happening on a regular basis now, and that makes it clear that the day of the return of the Lord is near. From the verse above, it is also clearly stated that no one knows when that season of time will come. There is no doubt that it will come, but no one can accurately predict when. This is why the verse above starts with an admonition or counsel, enjoining us to wait, watch and pray. 

All these are important. In bringing this home to us as Christians, waiting is 'to hope, to anticipate, and to trust'. To hope and trust in the Lord requires faith, patience, humility, meekness, long-suffering, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end. You do not wait for something that has already passed, and it will be too late to prepare for an event that has already happened. If I am asked to wait, it is because there is something amazing ahead. It also means that there is a particular code of conduct that is suitable for waiting. I am not allowed to act, speak or relate as I please, but my life's pursuits and priorities must show that I am waiting in hope for something great and also permanent. 

What am I really waiting for? Am I only interested in what I can get out of life, or am I willing to let go of the temporal so I can lay hold of the eternal? The verse above also mentions watching and praying. I note that there are no options given, or the power given to make a choice among the options. The AND makes it clear that I have to do ALL: wait, watch and pray. Watching means 'to keep awake, be vigilant'. We have spent a few days looking at prayer, which means communion with God. Natural sleep is important for the human body but spiritual sleep is dangerous. As I take time to treat my human body right, so must I take the time to treat my spiritual body right too. 

That the Lord will return one day soon is not in doubt. The Lord's reputation when it comes to doing what He has promised is solid. I cannot accept some promises as true because it is convenient to do so, and then reject others because they do not fit the narrative. If God has said it, He will bring it to pass. This is the season of preparation, when I must take stock and make sure I am on the right path. Eternity beckons on all of us; it is appointed unto man once to die, and after that comes judgment. Am I ready for that day or are there changes I need to make to bring me in line with the demands of that day? I must do all I must before it is too late. God's time of favour is here.