April 8 | Awake
Read Mark 13:24-37
Stay awake! Yesterday, we talked about how Jesus wanted to prepare the disciples for what would happen to the temple and Jerusalem. He wanted them to stand firm and to endure.
In the next verses, he tells them how. He says, there’s an end to the story that you need to know! No matter how dark it seems, even if it’s so dark that it’s like the sun and the moon have stopped shining, there will be a brilliant ending! I’m coming back!
Jesus wants his disciples to know that no matter how bad it looks- everything will be ok. Because someday, He will be back! You don’t know when it will be- don’t worry about that. Just stay awake, and do your job of inviting people into My Kingdom!
In Christian circles, it has been a constant temptation to try and figure out when Jesus will return. The disciples thought Jesus would return after Jerusalem was destroyed. After every major war, Christians have thought, “this must be it!” This was true during World War 1, World War 2, and even now as I write, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
Jesus says to us- stop obsessing over the when. You can’t figure it out. I’m coming back- so get to work!
Today, let’s ask God to help us stay awake to our mission of helping the world find its way back to God.