Waiting well: Living like we believe

"But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. You, too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect." (Luke 12:39-40 NASB)

Our Waiting Well series began a with a post on serving faithfully, followed by keeping our lamps lit, waiting for the bridegroom to return from the marriage feast, our response to His knock, and the response of Christ to us when we open the door to His knock. Yesterday, we considered the importance of being ready to serve in the night watches.  (Click on the link to read the earlier posts.)

In the six verses considered in the Waiting Well series, Jesus repeatedly said, "Be ready, Be ready." He had't gone back to heaven yet, but already He was preparing His disciples for His return. Be ready. I'm coming when you don't expect it. Be ready.

I'm ready to hear something else. My heart says, "Enough!" And then I remembered something important. When Jesus repeated Himself, it was for a reason. 

In this instance, He understood that our tendency is to become so wrapped up in our own little worlds, our own little lives, that we forget about our big eternal lives and our enormously powerful King who will return for us one day. 

We forget that this life we are living is not all the living we will do.

Last night, as I prepared for bed, I checked all the doors and locked them. I don't expect a thief or a home invasion, but I locked my doors to prevent that possibility. Every single night, I lock my doors against that possibility. The doors aren't always locked in the daytime, especially if I'm moving in and out from house to barn. You can be sure they'd be locked though, if I knew a thief was headed my way.

With that same preventive expectation, we need to be ready for Jesus. Consistently prepared. 

I'm ready to move on to different Scripture. These "being ready" verses seem so... same.

Today, I realized something new. Jesus hammered this point because He wants us to live with eternity in mind. To be intentional.

I locked my doors with a thief in mind.  

What if we lived our lives, made our choices, our routines, with eternity in mind? How would it change our actions? Our words? 

Would we say the same things, do the same things, if we thought Jesus would arrive on the scene for us before the words were out, the action completed?

This emphasis on being ready was for a reason. We are to live ready. The promise of eternity should change everything we do, mold every word we speak.  

Our King is coming, and we should be living like we believe it. 

When the world sees us, they should see people who expect their Sovereign King to split the sky and step into view at any moment. Let's be sure they do.

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Our Father, who lives and reigns in Heaven, help us to live as if you were returning today. Let us show the world how the hope of eternal life in Christ changes everything. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Waiting Well: Ready to Serve, No Matter How Late

"Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves." (Luke 12: 35-38 NASB)

Our Waiting Well series began a with a post on serving faithfully, followed by keeping our lamps lit, waiting for the bridegroom to return from the marriage feast, and our response to His knock. Yesterday, we looked at  the response of Christ to us when we open the door to His knock. (Click on the link to read the earlier posts.)

Today, we turn to the issue of the watch. To understand the "watch", we need to understand the Jewish method of keeping time. The day was twelve hours long. (John 11:9) The first hour of the day began at 6 am, which is basically at sunrise. Ex - 2:00 pm (our time) is the eighth hour. 

The night was also considered to be twelve hours, and began at 6 pm. It was divided into four three-hour watches. (These are the watches during which a watchman, guarding the city by watching for invaders, would be on the lookout.) 

The first watch is 6pm-9pm. 
The second watch is 9pm-12 pm.
The third watch is 12 midnight to 3 am.
The fourth watch is 3 am to 6 am.

In today's focus scripture, Jesus tells His disciples, "Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so (dressed and waiting), blessed are those slaves." Whether it is at our death or at the time of His second coming, we are to be ready and waiting. 

Servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding party might reasonably expect him to return in the first watch, but second watch would be late, especially in a time without electric lights. The third watch would be very late for a returning master. A faithful waiting servant, however, would still be ready to serve when the master returns, no matter the hour.

We, too, are to be ready to serve, no matter how long our Lord delays. No matter our age. No matter how much service we have given before. You might not have noticed, but there is a blessing for those who are still up, ready to serve, at the late hour. "Blessed are those slaves."

When we continue to serve Christ, even into the second and third watch of our lives, He takes note. He blesses.  When we continue to serve Christ in a dark and frightening world, despite His delayed return, He takes note. He blesses.

It is easy to serve so long, with so little recognition, that we begin to think no one notices. No one cares about our service. Take heart. Our Lord notices. He cares.

Press on. Your service is not in vain. It has not been overlooked.

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Our Father, help me to endure, to persevere, in righteousness and good works, no matter how dark the night around me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Waiting Well: When Jesus Enters, He Serves

"Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. " (Luke 12: 35-38 NASB)

Our Waiting Well series began a with a post on serving faithfully, followed by keeping our lamps lit, and waiting for the bridegroom to return from the marriage feast. Yesterday, we looked at our response to His knock. (Click on the link to read the earlier posts.) Today, we turn to the response of Christ to us when we open the door to His knock.

Our topic today is one of the great ironies of our faith. Jesus gave clear instructions that we are to be ready as servants waiting for their master. Dressed, lamp lit, we are to listen for His knock at the door, open it immediately, and welcome Him at His return. 

We will fling the door wide, expecting to serve the One our heart most loves and what will happen? Our Master will stride in the door, hitch up his robes, and begin to minister to us, instead. He will have us sit at the table and He will serve us. 

On His return, the Suffering Servant will be the Serving Master.

Lest you think this is not really service, the Greek word translated as "serve" is diakoneō  and literally means "to serve food and drink at the table". 

At the very moment when I should welcome Him with refreshment, He will serve me, instead.

Why? Why would the Creator and King serve me, His servant? Because He loves me. Because He sets an example that I should follow. 

He serves because serving others is the very nature of Christ and He never stops serving.

Christ's heart for service should be my heart, as well. Even when I think others should serve me, I will serve, instead, if I am following the example of Jesus. 

But do I? 

Our King is coming and it is our job to welcome Him, serving faithfully until the moment He enters the door. What a glorious entrance that will be!

The King is coming. Be ready.

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Our Father, thank you for Jesus' example of serving others. Help me to serve others with the same happy heart of love with which Christ serves. Make me a blessing to someone today. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Waiting Well: Our Response to the Knock on the Door

"Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. You, too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect." (Luke 12: 35-40 NASB)

Our Waiting Well series began a with a post on serving faithfully, followed by keeping our lamps lit. Yesterday, we looked at waiting for the bridegroom to return from the marriage feast. Today we turn to our response when the Master knocks.

Jesus said we are to be ready for His return in the same way that servants wait for their master to return from the wedding feast. They are dressed, awake, and alert. The house is secured, the doors locked to protect what is inside. 

At the moment the master knocks, the waiting servants fling open the door immediately. Without a second of delay, they welcome Him home because they have been waiting with eager expectation.

We are to be waiting for the return of Christ with that same eager expectation, ready to receive Him with open arms, open hearts, and open doors. 

We look forward to Christ's return because we love Him, because He is the bridegroom for His church and we belong to Him. We are His and He is ours. He is the one our heart most desires, and we look forward to seeing Him, just as we would a long-delayed but much-loved relative.

One day, the trumpets will blow, the sky will split, and King Jesus will appear. It will be a glorious day. 

The King is coming. Be ready.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NASB (1)

(1) http://bible.com/100/1th.4.16-17.nasb

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Our Father, Thank you for sending Jesus to save sinners like me. Thank you that He is coming again. Create in me a clean, ready heart, eager to meet my Lord. Help me to stay ready. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.