When Least Expected

Chuckle: "Wrinkled is not one of the things I wanted to be when I grew up!"

Quote: "Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened." --Winston Churchill

"You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected" (Matthew 24:44 NLT).

I think most of us like being prepared to deal with the unexpected. But, by the same token, we all dread the unexpected for which we have no warning or time to prepare. Then there are certain things we know will happen, like our deaths, but we don't know when. Even though the coming of the event is certain, it is the "when" that's least expected. So it is with Christ's return.

The second coming of Jesus is a major tenet of the Christian faith and we all anticipate His return. In His own words, Jesus tells us that He will return, but He will do so according to the timing known only by God the Father. We cannot predict the exact date of His return, but we should always be prepared as if His return were today. In the same way we stay prepared for the unexpected quiz by a college professor by keeping up with our studies and assignments, we must always be prepared for Jesus' return.

Jesus never intended for us to speculate about the date of His return. Rather, His words were intended as a warning to be prepared for His coming at all times. His coming will be swift and sudden. "So be prepared, because you don't know what day your Lord is coming" (vs. 42).

Yes, Christians should live as if Christ were returning today. But the most urgent preparation is needed by those who have not received Christ as Lord and Savior. When Jesus comes, it will be too late to prepare because the opportunity will have passed for repentance and turning to Him. The choices made in this life will determine our eternal destiny.

Jesus has told His followers not only to wait for His return, but promises a special blessing for those who also watch for His coming. The difference in waiting and watching is illustrated by this story:

After days at sea, a fishing boat was nearing the shore. The men gazed eagerly toward the dock, where a group of their loved ones were waiting. The skipper, looking through his glass, identified some of the women as wives of his crew. But one man was anxious because his wife was not with the others. He left the boat with a heavy heart and walked up the hill, where he saw a light in his cottage. As he opened the door, his wife ran to meet him, saying, "I have been waiting for you!" He sadly replied, "Yes, but the other men's wives were watching for them."

An old hymn goes like this: "Say, will He find you and me still watching, waiting, waiting when the Lord shall come?"

Love, Jerry & Dotse