Week 41 – October 6-12, 2024: Are You Ready?

This week’s daily readings:

October 6-12, 2024

This week’s devotional:

Are You Ready?

by Erica Bethke

Scripture:

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

— Matthew 24: 42-44 (ESV) 

Reflection:

My sister and I had been fortunate enough to have a mom who stayed home with us when we were young. But when I was twelve, she decided to take a part-time job that left me home to watch my little sister on Saturday mornings. She always gave us some kind of chore to accomplish before she got home. “This needs to be done before I come home,” she’d warn. Most of the time, she just wanted us to clean up any mess we made while making breakfast, watching cartoons, and turning the living room into a gymnasium. Mom gave us some idea of when she’d return, but often she stopped to do some shopping on the way home. Sometimes she came home earlier than we expected because her shift ended early. Whatever information she did give us, it felt as if we had all day to do whatever we wanted before she got home. 

Keep in mind that this was the late 1980s before smart phones, so there was no way to track her phone or ask her to send us a text on her way home. You will not be surprised to learn that we almost always lost track of time and Mom came home to find a sink full of dirty breakfast dishes and us jumping off furniture, still in our pajamas! We’d often plead with her to let us get it all done as soon as she came through the door, but it was too late. We were not ready for Mom to come home, and there were consequences to face. 

Jesus paints a similar picture in Matthew 24 of a homeowner being surprised by a thief who comes in the night. He uses that scenario to explain the timing of his second coming to Earth. Although Jesus gives us some clues, he concludes by saying that no one knows the time or hour of his return. He simply tells us to be ready. Being ready does not mean cleaning up your home or your life, for that matter. What matters to him is whether your heart is ready to receive him as the Savior of your mortal soul when he returns. When Jesus returns, will your heart be found jumping off furniture in your pajamas, or will it be ready to receive him?

Prayer: 

God, our Father: thank you for your amazing love that sent your Son the first time to save us. What an awesome plan – a plan that could only come about through your wisdom and grace! Lord Jesus: we do look forward to the day of your return, even though we don’t know when that will be. Holy Spirit: help us to stay awake and be ready. Use your mighty power to work on our hearts, building our faith, and keeping our focus on that glorious day! Amen