FRIDAY: BE CAREFUL, BE WATCHING!

May 19, 2023
2 min read

Luke 21:32-36

32 “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

There are many things that can weigh down my heart. One is worrying about whether something will happen or not. Jesus makes it clear about His timeline and His sovereignty over creation: I can count on things happening on His timeline, not mine. Additionally, His words are eternal and last forever—I can count on that.

When it comes to the anxieties of life, I need to be careful. Whether it’s wine or worry, both have the ability to carry me away and cloud my mind. If that’s all I do, I’m going to be so consumed with it that I won’t be paying attention to what’s going on around me. When Jesus comes, I’ll be preoccupied doing something else, and that day will close on me suddenly like a trap.

THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS: In order to be prepared for that day, I need to be always on watch. While I’m watching, I should be praying that I will escape not only all that’s about to happen, but also escape from the distractions and anxieties of today.

Watching is a valuable skill. If I can see something coming before it arrives, I will be able to be ready for it. That means that if I see the aforementioned anxieties consuming my life, I can pray to deal with them before they get here.

I can also be watching for Jesus’s return. That also involves praying that I will be ready when He comes. Since Jesus’s command involves standing before Him, I can allow Him to work through me to clear my life of these distractions and anxieties.

Through it all, I will learn what He desires for my life. I will learn what He is able to do within me to wash away my desires so I fill me with His desires. Above all, I will learn how to pray and communicate Him in good times and bad. Lord, bless me today as I seek to do your will. Help me to combat the anxieties within me so that I can be totally focused on You.

May you be blessed,

Chaplain Wayne Ruckman