“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marring and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the son of man be. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come, But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the son of man cometh.” Matthew 24:36-39; 42-44
Today’s Christian daily devotional
My heart skips a beat as I take in the beauty of the towering landmark Chicago hotel. In all my years of living in this great city, I never had an invitation or occasion to enter. But, tonight was different.
I step out of the cab feeling like a modern day Cinderella on her way to the ball. But in this story, my pumpkin is a yellow taxi with a bad exhaust system.
Other guests are arriving in various luxury cars. Emerging from them are women donned in diamonds and cashmere. I grab my husband’s hand for reassurance. I am definitely outside of my element.
John catches the flash of insecurity on my face. He squeezes my hand, kindly locking eyes and giving me a reassuring wink.
Men in top hats and tassels open the pristine brass doors. I feel like I am floating through the grand marble ballroom in search of our names on the exclusive guest list. Someone ushers us into the private room in the back.
Turning down the wine offered to me, I choose to soak in my surroundings sober. I want to remember this special event and every last detail of it…even with frayed nerves.
The aristocratic crowd doesn’t seem to be affected by the elegant atmosphere of pomp and circumstance. My chin, on the other hand, has to be reminded to stay closed.
One of John’s clients had generously invited us to our first charity ball fundraiser. This day was not a day that we both accidentally stumbled upon. We planned, prepared and had been looking forward to it for months.
In the time leading up to this special night, we both restrained ourselves from our favorite foods to ensure that we would fit into our elegant attire. There were also appointments for shopping trips, fittings and plenty of fretting. Every detail was considered from the perfect earing, to the perfect shoe, and of course, the perfect cocktail purse—large enough to stuff John’s emergency protein bars!
The events and people that are important to us will be apparent in our care and preparation (or lack) thereof.
If you claim to love Jesus, let me inspire you to consider this: Do you care enough to prepare for His return? As Matthew 24:36-39; 42-44 gives us ample warning, at any moment Jesus could come back. If He were to descend today, would you hang your head in shame like Cinderella at the stroke of midnight?
There is no need to be fearful of that moment—you can start the beginnings of your preparations right now! All it takes is an attitude of expectation, and in that hope of Christ’s return, ask God what you could do right now that would make Him smile.
Even if Jesus never returns in your particular lifetime, every human will meet their maker at the end of their life. Are you ready? What are you waiting for?
“Dear Heavenly Father,
I am ashamed to admit that I have put more time, effort and consideration into my outfit coordination than I have in preparing for your presence in my life.
Even if Jesus never returns in my lifetime, you are always there, always watching. This is something that I need to always remember not as a means to feel fearful; but as a reminder of the spiritual consequences of the decisions that I make today.
Help me to watch my life carefully–my words, actions and motivations. For every day that I have the honor of breathing air into my lungs, I want to bring a smile to your face. In Jesus precious name, please help me to do just that. Amen.”
Thank you for reading today’s Christian daily devotional on verses: Matthew 24:36-39; 42-44
Please check back and see what we have for you tomorrow!
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan