It seems in recent years birthdays, anniversaries and special holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter are coming before I am ready for them. Connie just said when putting our fall decorations away and bringing out Christmas ones, “Didn’t I just get my fall décor out?” If she wasn’t so good about making those seasonal transitions, I would not remember the next season is coming! Even then, if Connie didn’t get me involved in bringing up the tables and chairs from the storeroom when the family comes over for dinner, I suspect that special day would still slip by me. I guess age does that to a person.
I find Paul’s words very interesting in the context of being ready for the Lord’s return. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 (ESV), Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. He wasn’t too concerned about how the believers might be like the five virgins who knew but still weren’t prepared for the groom’s coming. I can’t speak for others, but I suspect I’m not as fully aware as I would like to be.
It seems like Paul is revealing one of God’s ways when he wrote the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. For reasons fully known only to Him, it appears He likes to come to us when we don’t expect Him. Perhaps He hopes to catch us doing good when we don’t think He is noticing. Possibly He wants to see just how genuinely we believe He is alive, what He has said is true and/or if we have faith that He will show up. This unique way of God also manifests itself in the way He comes to meet with us in our daily life. Today while driving to the office, He just unexpectedly showed up while I was driving. It was such a wonderful time with Him.
I wonder what it might take to alert us to His next visit with us personally or even in our worship services. It might help me if He would do something like Connie does in changing the décor of the environment to alert me to be expecting His interaction with me. Jesus did reference the signs of His coming, the décor, to be increased persecution, contempt for Christians, rampant sin, and a decreasing passion for God. Yet, Amos 5:18 essentially says the day of the Lord will not look like what we expect. Paul said it will be as unexpected as a thief invading your house at night. The Jews missed Christ’s first coming because it didn’t happen as they expected. Could that happen to us too?
I suspect God wants us to have such a love for Him that He, above absolutely everything or everyone else, is foremost in our mind. When Connie is gone overnight, I may get busy with other things, but the moment the busy roar dulls down, my mind reverts to Connie and when she will be back home. I don’t need any reminders! My mind just naturally goes towards her and her return. Could it be that is the type of love Jesus was talking about us having for Him when He quoted the Old Testament law as the greatest commandment? Mark 12:30 (ESV), And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ When we honestly love Him with that level of intensity, we will not only be looking for His return, we will be looking for any and every message that comes from Him while He is preparing for His return.