Jeremiah 19-21 / 1 Thessalonians 5:4-28 / Psalm 82 / Proverbs 25:9-10
Have you ever felt you were the last to know something? Or that everyone else understood the topic at hand, except you? Some call that “being in the dark” or “being asleep at the wheel”, neither of which is a very comforting place to be found. As people of God, we do not have to live in darkness, confusion, or lack or understanding. We have Holy Spirit who helps us with discernment and wisdom in every situation.
1 Thessalonians 5:4-8 NLT gives us a clear instruction on who we are as people of the light. This is what it says, “But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.”
It’s important that we know who we are and who we are not as followers of Christ. We are surrounded by information overload every day from media, books, and other people’s opinions. But there is only one opinion that matters and that is God’s. As we’re wading through everything that comes our way, we must be able to separate Truth from lies. Those who are in the light have an advantage because we have Holy Spirit telling us clearly what Truth is.
You aren’t in the dark about the Day of the Lord’s return (the statement on “these things” referred to in verse 4). You won’t be surprised when that day comes. You are children of light and of the day. You don’t belong to darkness or night. These are the facts of who you are because you are in Christ. I think you should read those again and read them aloud using “I am” statements. For example: I am not in the dark about the Day of the Lord’s return.
If you somehow feel you are in the dark, I encourage you to ask God to show you what you need to know. He will be faithful to do that. And as you continue to declare Truth, your heart and understanding will be opened by Holy Spirit to receive what you need. Because we are children of light, there are some things expected of us.
We are to be on guard. We are not to be asleep like the others. We are to stay alert and clearheaded. We are to be protected by the armor of faith and love, wearing a helmet that is our confidence of salvation. As long as we are alert and confident of our salvation, we have everything we need for the Day of the Lord’s return.
We don’t know the exact day He is coming, but we know we are ready. So many worry about knowing the day, even trying to predict that day. Scripture tells us that no one knows the day, except the Father (Mark 13:32). If only the Father knows, it must be that we should not be concerned about that. I believe we must remain alert to our relationship with the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. If we place that relationship first, then endeavor to share what we know with others, we and them will be prepared and missing nothing. We do not need to know everything to be considered ready.
Are you awake and ready? If Jesus Christ returned today, would you be prepared to meet Him? Would your loved one or friend be ready? These are the questions that matter. That’s why we must not be distracted by worthless things such as living the way the world does.
Stay alert, be clearheaded. Filter what you listen to, watch, and speak about because these are the things that will either further strengthen you in your faith or tear you down and cause confusion. I realize this is a huge task because the messages around us are loud and many. But you can do it!
Be careful little eyes what you see; be careful little ears what you hear. For the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little ears what you hear.
