Devotion for Today "Thief in the Night" I Thess. 5:1-4
One of our church members was out of town enjoying a nice vacation
over the spring holidays. When they returned, however, they found that
their home had been burglarized. These people are very cautious and
never negligent about their personal security, yet they discovered
that the back doorway had been pried open. While nothing expensive
was taken, some very precious family keepsakes were stolen that could
not be replaced. On commenting about the break-in one of the victims
said, "If they were intent on stealing, I wished they had stolen
the color television set- at least we could haved replace that."
Burglary has happened to many of us, and it is not a nice thing to
happen to anyone. Apart from the grief and loss over some material
belongings you also feel a sense of violation that someone invaded your
private space and took something from you, leaving you very angry and
frustrated because in many cases the perpetrator is either never
discovered or not brought to justice. You feel grief in that a part
of your trust in your fellow man has also died. The sense of bewilder-
ment in that someone came along, suddenly- while you were not looking-
and who can be looking every single second of the day?
As we examine our devotional passage in I Thessalonians 5:1-4, we
discover that Jesus is going to return. What will be the manner of
that return? "But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you
have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know
perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes
upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not
escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day
should overtake you as a thief."
The Apostle Paul tells us that as believers in Jesus Christ we need
to constantly remind ourselves, and others, that there is no exact
time when Christ will return, only that when He does return, it will
be unexpected. Its not as though He has never warned us or told us,
but that most people will be living oblivious to this advent as they
were when He came to us the first time. Even if the exact hour and
day were given, many would not interpret the urgency of the season
until it is too late. So we are told to live as though in the very
next moment Jesus may return. But we are not trying to prevent His
coming. Indeed we will live so that we will be the first to welcome
Him when He does return. Have a blessed day!
One of our church members was out of town enjoying a nice vacation
over the spring holidays. When they returned, however, they found that
their home had been burglarized. These people are very cautious and
never negligent about their personal security, yet they discovered
that the back doorway had been pried open. While nothing expensive
was taken, some very precious family keepsakes were stolen that could
not be replaced. On commenting about the break-in one of the victims
said, "If they were intent on stealing, I wished they had stolen
the color television set- at least we could haved replace that."
Burglary has happened to many of us, and it is not a nice thing to
happen to anyone. Apart from the grief and loss over some material
belongings you also feel a sense of violation that someone invaded your
private space and took something from you, leaving you very angry and
frustrated because in many cases the perpetrator is either never
discovered or not brought to justice. You feel grief in that a part
of your trust in your fellow man has also died. The sense of bewilder-
ment in that someone came along, suddenly- while you were not looking-
and who can be looking every single second of the day?
As we examine our devotional passage in I Thessalonians 5:1-4, we
discover that Jesus is going to return. What will be the manner of
that return? "But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you
have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know
perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes
upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not
escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day
should overtake you as a thief."
The Apostle Paul tells us that as believers in Jesus Christ we need
to constantly remind ourselves, and others, that there is no exact
time when Christ will return, only that when He does return, it will
be unexpected. Its not as though He has never warned us or told us,
but that most people will be living oblivious to this advent as they
were when He came to us the first time. Even if the exact hour and
day were given, many would not interpret the urgency of the season
until it is too late. So we are told to live as though in the very
next moment Jesus may return. But we are not trying to prevent His
coming. Indeed we will live so that we will be the first to welcome
Him when He does return. Have a blessed day!
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