October 5, 2020

Will we be ready? – Matthew 24:36-44

The other night I was awakened by one of my least favorite sounds, the chirp of a smoke detector with a low battery. It amazes me that smoke detector batteries in my house always seem to fail at night. After unsuccessfully trying to sleep through it, I got out of bed to try and find which of the smoke detectors was chirping. I finally found both the smoke detector that was chirping and a replacement battery after going from room to room. I changed the battery and went back to bed, only for it to start to chirp again. Frustrated, I removed the battery and unplugged that smoke detector from the system, and went back to bed. The next day, I was able to figure out what was wrong with that smoke detector and get it to stop chirping, so that all my smoke detectors could alert me in case of a fire.

Just as a smoke detector can help keep us safe regardless of when a fire may break out, our faith in Jesus can keep us safe regardless of when he may return. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Matthew 24:36. “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.” Matthew 24:42-43. Jesus tells us that only God knows the timing of his return, but that we should prepare. “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Matthew 24:44. To be ready we all need to do as Paul writes in Romans: “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9. Confessing Lord Jesus and believing in his resurrection will allow us to spend eternity in heaven with our risen Savior!

Mark Anderson