August 31 - Matthew 24:42-51

Daily Reading & Meditation

Thursday (8/31): "If you knew in what part of the night the thief was coming, you would have watched!”

Scripture: Matthew 24:42-51

42 Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 45 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, `My master is delayed,' 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with the drunken, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, 51 and will punish him, and put him with the hypocrites; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.

Meditation: What can a thief in the night teach us about the kingdom of God? Lack of vigilance invites disaster! What thief would send a message to announce his impending crime? God offers us the greatest treasure possible -- his kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. It’s possible to lose this great treasure if we do not keep vigilant watch. What do we watch for? The Lord and the coming of his kingdom for certain! We pray daily May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. The Lord is at work to renew his people and to equip us for spiritual battle and for the spread of the gospel. Are you ready for his action and grace in your life?

We also watch for the enemy who seeks to rob us of our treasure. If Satan can’t induce us to give up on our faith in God and on our hope in heaven, he tries to make us spiritually dull and indifferent to the word of God and he tempts us to procrastinate. His ruse is to tell Christians that there is no hurry! His strategy is to make us think that there is plenty of time to get right with God and do his will. Jesus gives us sufficient grace for today and he gives us time to turn to him, but that time is right now! We cannot guarantee that tomorrow will come.