Be Alert and Self-Controlled

For the Lord, himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NIV)

The Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Jesus said in Matthew 24:36, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” What does this mean? We must be ready! We do not know when we will stand before our Maker, so we must prepare ourselves today.

Our lives should be disciplined so that we are ready for whatever comes. There will always be spiritual warfare that we need to recognize and meet head-on. The Lord hasn’t left us defenseless. When we put on His full armor, we will be equipped for any battle we face. Our belief about the future should impact our lives today. Don’t relax and be caught off guard.

Prayer:                        Lord, may I live my life today with eternity in mind. May I put on your full spiritual armor so I will be victorious in life’s battles. Amen.