When we believe a warning, it affects or behavior, It's true in every area of life, including our walk of faith. Paul wrote to the Christians in Thessalonica, reminding them that the day of the Lord would come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night (1 Thess. 5:2). His call to action urged them to avoid spiritual lethargy while remaining alert and self-controlled (v.6).
Paul's challenge echoed Jesus' own words urging His followers to be watchful and ready, "for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Matt.24:44).
If we believe our Lord's word about His coming, how will it affect our thoughts and actions today ?
"David McCasland"
What would He find, should He come just now:
A faded leaf, or a fruitless bough;
A servant sleeping, an idle plow?
What would He find should He come just now ?
"Anon"
Therefore let us not sleep, as other do, but let us watch and be sober.
1 Thessalonians 5:6
Every Christian should be an expectant uplooker, not a sleepy onlooker !
"Our Daily Bread" - Oct 17/07
Getting into God's stride
Enoch walked with God.
Genesis 5:24
The test of a man's religious life and character is not what he does in the exceptional moments of life, but what he does in the ordinary times, when there is nothing tremendous or exciting on. The worth of a man is revealed in his attitude to ordinary things when he is not before the footlights
(cf. John 1:36). It is a painful business to get through into the stride of God, it means getting your second wind spiritually. In learning to walk with God there is always the difficulty of getting into His stride; but when we have got into it, the only characteristic that manifests itself is the life of God. The individual man is lost sight of in his personal union with God, and the stride and the power of God alone are manifested.
It is difficult to get into stride with God, because when we start walking with Him we find He has outstripped us before we have taken three steps. He has different ways of doing things, and we have to be trained and disciplined into His ways. It was said of Jesus - "He shall not fail nor be discouraged," because He never worked from His own individual standpoint but always from the standpoint of His Father, and we have to learn to do the same. Spiritual truth is learned by atmosphere, not by intellectual reasoning. God's Spirit alters the atmosphere of our way of looking at things, and things begin to be possible which never were possible before. Getting into the stride of God means nothing less than union with Himself. It takes a long time to get there, but keep at it. Don't give in because the pain is bad just now, get on with it, and before long you will find you have a new vision and a new purpose.
“Heartlight” - Oct 12/07
