On Guard!

 On Guard!

Mark 13:33 AMPC

[33] Be on your guard [constantly alert], and watch and pray; for you do not know when the time will come.

The disciples of Jesus had seen the amazing structures of the temple, and they were impressed. As it was then, so is it now. It is a teatament to man's intellect and ingenuity that we see the beautiful structures and discoveries that man has made through the years. We have moved from walking on foot to travelling by air. We have transited from the times of medieval darkness to almost uninterrupted power and Internet supply. Journeys that would have taken months are now completed in hours, and I can speak with anyone on the face of the earth at any time. These are amazing testimonials to the power of God revealed through the intellect and application of man, yet I am also reminded that no matter how good things are now, it would still change if the Lord tarries long enough. It is this understanding that underpins our reflection today, as we consider the verse above  and the answers that Jesus gave to the concerns raised by His disciples. 

The chapter from where the verse above is taken addressed the concerns of the disciples around the beauty and splendor of the temple and its surroundings. However, the response of Jesus, as laid out in the verse above teaches us a few lessons, and the first one is that whatever I see now is temporary. It does not matter how long it has been in place, or how effective it is. As long as it belongs to the earth, it will go the way of the earth, which, as Jesus said quite clearly, will be destroyed by fire. This tells me that I cannot hold on to anything down here without keeping an eye on what is permanent. I enjoy what the earth has to offer, but I also remind myself that I am on a journey to a permanent home. I buy things to use down here, but I take care not to become enslaved or defined by them. The things I own are tools for the furtherance of God's work, and not for the promotion of my own selfish interests. 

The verse above enjoins me to watch and pray because I cannot be too careful. I watch so that I can observe what is going on around me, and I also pray so that I can get the right understanding of what I have observed, and to know the right thing to do at every stage in life. The men of Issachar were few, but it was said of them that they understood the times and knew what Israel ought to do. The usual way of doing things will not work anymore, because the challenges of these times call for a different approach. One day soon, there will be an irreversible shaking, and the things you thought you knew and were familiar with, will change. I must be prepared for all that is coming, but I can be sure that the coming of the Son of God will happen. The only way to be ready the right way is to be with the Way, the Truth and the Life. In and by Him will I have all that I need for this life, as well as the one coming. God's time of favour is here.