“For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”

1 Thessalonians 5:2
Even with a good watchdog or with the security systems that many homes have, if a thief came in the dead of night, the residents would be caught off guard. Who of us ever expects an intruder to appear? Paul tells us that Jesus’ second coming will be that much of a surprise for us. There’s no escaping it. People who had all along felt safe, suddenly are not.

But the Christian experience of this event will be different, not because we know when it will happen, but because we expect that it will. Therefore, there is no dread in it for us. “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:9). The believer in Jesus can confidently say, “There is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).

We may not know exactly when the Lord will come, but “when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).



Scripture Focus

1 Thessalonians 5:1-4

Insight

“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11)

Bible In A Year

  • 2 Kings 11-12
  • Proverbs 16
  • 1 Peter 4-5

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