Verse of the Day - Matthew 24:46

[Jesus says,] "If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward." ~ Matthew 24:46 (NLT)

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Being ready. Being on guard. Living expectantly. The fuller passage in this verse's context is about living in "ready" mode.

Last weekend, some friends and I visited the USS Hornet Aircraft Carrier Museum in Alameda, CA. Although I'm not a ship buff, a war buff, or a plane buff, this was a very interesting tour of one of our national naval museums! Our guide said something several times that stuck with me: this ship was not made for comfort; it was made for war. Sleeping quarters were cramped with minimal ventilation, staircases so narrow you could almost just jump straight down (and they probably did, often!). When the signal was given to man their battle stations at any given time, the men had exactly five minutes to get to their assigned deck station -- on a ship the size and scale of which you simply can't imagine without seeing it for yourself. After that, hatches and doors closed automatically. If you were stuck on the wrong deck with your lack of readiness hanging out, you were headed to a meeting with the captain. And our guide was quick to say that was not where you wanted to end up. These men were expected to know their job, and be ready at all times to do their job. Their lives and the lives of 3,200 other men on board could be at stake if you weren't prepared and ready.

Jesus told us in Matthew 24 about the end times and what that will be like. He talked about the signs that will point to them, just like budding trees point to the arrival of Spring. But, at the same time, no one knows the day or the hour, not even Him. Only the Father. Only the Master. And so, the children...the servants...must be ready and active, taking care of the tasks He assigns while He's away. If you think you have time to waste, think again! "No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen..." (Matthew 24:36)

If the men during WWII on the USS Hornet sat in their bunks reading comics or playing catch on the flight deck all day when there seemed no imminent need to be ready...if they didn't work to maintain their aircraft and weapons regularly and keep their own physical bodies in shape when there was no enemy on the horizon...we would've seen much tragedy on the Pacific seas. The enemy doesn't stand up and give a grand announcement when they plan to attack...no, they use all the stealth tactics they can to catch their target off-guard. These Navy men had to be ready for battle day...every day.

So, are you sitting on your Christian laurels, doing a bunch of nothing, thinking that Jesus won't return for a long, LONG time still? Do you know deep in your heart that God is calling you to be His servant to others as a messenger of hope, but you're busy reading comics below deck, thinking you can "do that tomorrow"?

We must be a people of urgency, and I speak to myself, here. There is no time like the present. Guess what? The 2008 Presidential Elections might never happen -- did you ever think of that? With all the CNN and MSN hype over who'll win the Primaries....it could all be for nothing. So, how does that change what we do TODAY? What is of eternal value TODAY? Today is all we have. So, whatever God has given you charge of, do it well--do it daily. Love people, share the hope of the Lord, build your faith...these are the things that our Father and Master is looking for in a faithful servant.

So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. ~ Matthew 24:42-44 (NLT)

Let us be diligent and vigilant, serving our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, through acts of love and kindness to those in need, giving the message of forgiveness in the gospel of Jesus Christ to those without Him, and deeping our love and faith in Him through committed time in the Word and in prayer. We won't be caught on the wrong deck when the hatches close with an action plan like that!

Love,
Joelene