March 07, 2010

Our God approaches with the noise of thunder. Fire devours everything in his way, and a great storm rages around him.

-Psalm 50:3

These three little words-our God approaches-are the most certain fact in the universe. We may be going through terrible trials, tribulations, sufferings, and temptations, but we can be certain of one thing: our God is coming! One day Christ will return to earth. A fire will devour before Him (v. 3) as He returns to destroy the Antichrist and his armies. God Himself will be the Judge of His people (v. 6).

The concept of Jesus’ return took center stage as Christ taught His disciples about the end of time. “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows” (Mark 13:32). Since we cannot know the moment of His return, we must remain diligently on our guard, for His arrival could be “at evening, midnight, early dawn, or late daybreak”

(v. 35).

As we battle the enemy, we should be constantly looking skyward for the imminent return of our Lord. Focusing on His coming will keep us on guard against sin, compromise, and slothfulness and will encourage us in battle. We must keep our lives equipped and our hearts ready, because there will be no time for preparation at His sudden return. To the sleeping, distracted, halfhearted Christian, Jesus gives one word that will keep him on track for life: “Watch!” (Mark 13:37).

Daily Readings: Numbers 8:1-9:23 • Mark 13:14-37
• Psalm 50:1-23 • Proverbs 10:29-30

The One Year Devotional used by permission from Bethany World Prayer Center and Pastor Larry Stockstill . For more information, please see www.bethany.com or www.bccn.com.