As I am writing this devotional, I’m smiling because I find it very ironic that I chose to start this devotional with the title of a song from a group called . . . The Temptations! You see, in the first part of chapter 4 of 1 Thessalonians Paul calls the church family to resist temptation, particularly, sexual sin.
When it comes to getting ready for a trip, my wife and I are completely different. I take my time to prepare the bags, especially the backpack. If I have to take the dreaded 6.45 AM flight from our beloved Great Falls International Airport, it’s very likely I won’t get a good night’s sleep because my mind is thinking of getting up early and not missing the flight. On the other hand, Maria is a whirlwind! She can wake up thirty minutes before the time we need to leave, prepare everything, and get into the car just in time. I admire that!
In this passage that Pastor Ken taught last Sunday, Paul calls the Thessalonians to be ready for an event we call the Rapture. According to the text, Jesus will come to get His church. He will come from heaven and, if we are still alive, He will remove us from this world, He will catch us and we will meet Him in the air. Now, that’s a trip we should be looking forward to! And, like any other trip, we need to be ready. Let’s review some of the things we should be doing until He returns according to this text:
- Live in a way that pleases God.
- Resist sexual sin.
- Never harm or cheat a fellow believer.
- Live a quiet life and mind your own business.
Are we getting ready for this momentous event? Or do we live thinking this is something that is a remote possibility? Paul ends this chapter by saying we should be encouraging each other with this promise. As you know, the value of a promise lays on the authority of the promise maker. And, as you know, God has always kept His promises. Let me encourage you to keep this in mind as you go through your day.
So, get ready, for here He comes.
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