Watch Unto His Coming

Discipleship Devotional, February 18th, 2025

“But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.”
– 1 Thessalonians 5:4 (NIV)

The Bible speaks several times about the second coming of Christ and how no one knows what day or time He will come. However, as believers, the Scriptures tell us that we will not be surprised by the day He comes because we are not in darkness. This does not mean we know the day He will come. This only means that because we are living our lives in expectation of His return, we will not be caught off guard like the world will. The Bible says that the world will mourn at His coming—this is because they were not expecting Him.

As a believer, the only way you will not be caught off guard is if you are watching unto His coming. The way to watch is by living our lives in a manner that is mindful of the fact that we belong to Him. The Lord Jesus said we ought to watch:

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”
– Matthew 24:42 (KJV)

In the same passage, the Master spoke these words, which I believe apply to believers:

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
– Matthew 24:45-51 (NIV)

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, help me to live my life with the reality of the second coming of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.