“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 of 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. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his entire household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily, I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming: and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken: the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of. And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 24:42-51
Our weekly Christian devotional
The loud hum of the vacuum muffled the sounds of Gabby and Gabe’s scuttle. Misty’s rambunctious little five year olds were engaged in a heated chat over Frosted Flakes. As long as they weren’t spilling sticky cereal on her freshly scrubbed floor, she figured it was best to just leave them alone.
“Why didn’t I clean the floor last?” The young mom chided herself for being so optimistic in the first place. Oh, today she needed the scales of fate to tip in her favor …
Misty’s eyes quickly dart up to the kitchen clock. In less than two hours, the Parker’s bungalow would be on display for potential buyers to see.
For the last three weeks, their tiny home was a total disaster. During that time Misty and her husband combed through every closet and drawer getting rid of things they didn’t need anymore. It was a task the couple had put off since the twins were born.
“I guess it takes making an actual move to get things done around here!” Misty thought to herself.
At any rate, she was glad that they finally accomplished the dreaded chore; it made relator showings much smoother.
“Bathroom, check.” Misty mumbled to herself while whisking around the small home; polishing, fluffing and dusting the place into a something she barely recognized.
Popping her head into the living room, she wanted to make sure her children weren’t undoing all her ‘doing’.
Much to the young mother’s surprise the twins left a minimal mess from their Frosted Flake fiasco. Picking up a few scattered flakes, she checked the clock once again.
“Yes! We have fifteen minutes to spare, Kiddos!” Spinning around the clean floor, she scooped up the toddlers and headed towards the garage.
The phone tucked in her back pocket rang. Even before picking it up, Misty knew by the tone that it was her relator. She felt her heartbeat quickly grind to a stop.
“Hello?” She hoped her instincts were wrong.
“Misty, it’s Cheryl. I’m so sorry but the buyers cancelled our showing today…”
“Dear Heavenly Father,
I’m sorry for being so impatient, especially when it comes to my Christian walk and ‘growth’.
You warn us in your word to always stay prepared. Your children aren’t to get lazy in our faith or the actions that back it up.
Everyday I feel as if there is a war going on in the inside of me. Part of me desires to make good decisions and the other part that just wants life to be easier…RIGHT NOW! I know this is the reason I tend to put off changes that need to be made. That ideal day has yet to come.
The bottom line is—I must continually make good choices everyday. It’s important for me to keep cleaning my ‘sin closet’ when I go to you in prayer. This will help me stay tapped into your Spirit so I can navigate through life more smoothly. It will also remind me of my purpose, as there is a spiritual reason why I’m here.
The more I allow you to lead, the easier it will become. The beginning of change is always the hardest. That’s always the point where I continually fail. I keep making big promises when I feel strong and then turning back the minute things get hard.
But, this hypocrisy has kept me so ashamed that I actually put off praying to you because of it! What a catch 22, Lord. Thank you for your grace and patience. Help me to stop taking it for granted and just start obeying you no matter how difficult it looks.
Help me not to get aggravated for the changes you are making in me. This deep cleaning of my spirit needs to be done. Even if it disrupts my plans—if it’s in your plans than help me to remember that it is a blessing. I need to see it YOUR way.
Please remind me that everything I do for your kingdom will never be wasted. In fact, you promised that this is the ONLY thing that will be eternal. No amount of time I invest in prayer or focusing on righteousness will ever be wasted.
Give me a passion to pursue the things that matter. Help me lose my appetite for anything that will abort your dreams for my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Thank you for reading our weekly Christian devotional on verses: Matthew 24:42-51
Please check back and see what we have for you next week!
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan