“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
Matthew 24:42–44
Few men in history have had a greater impact for the cause of Christ than the 19th century evangelist D. L. Moody. With little formal education, Moody became one of the most noted preachers of his era, reaching huge numbers of people with the gospel. On one of his trips to England, to hold revival meetings, Moody was asked about the secret to the success of his ministry. Moody replied, “For many years I have never given an address without the consciousness that the Lord may come before I have finished.”
We often speak of the Lord’s return as a source of hope and comfort, and it is. Paul ended his great teaching on the Rapture with this instruction: “Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18). But while our recognition of the truth that the Lord could come at any moment comforts us, it should also stir our hearts as we consider those who are not ready to meet Him.
The grace of God has given us the assurance that we will spend eternity with Him, but that gift is not meant to be hoarded and kept to ourselves. Instead, we are called and commanded to go forth with the good news and share it with others. And there is no greater motivation for obedience to that command than the realization that time is short. We do not know when Jesus will appear, and therefore the work that we do for Him must be done without delay.
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