November 5

1 Thessalonians 5

The coming of the Lord will be instantaneous, and we should be ready!

INSIGHT

Many people who claim to believe in God have never made a commitment to Him. They say that at the end of their lives they will accept Jesus as Savior, preferring instead to live as they please rather than bowing to His claims. In their deceived minds, they have outwitted God and had it both ways. This is extremely foolish and very dangerous. Such people rarely get more spiritually sensitive in their old age. In fact, they often become more resistant to the Lord. Also, we never know when we will die. An accident might take us before we can repent. Or the Lord could come at any minute, and it would be too late. The coming of the Lord will be like “a thief in the night” (v. 2).

PRAYER

Praise God that in Christ we can be ready for the coming of the Lord:
Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Give to the Lord glory and strength.
Give to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him;
Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! (1 Chronicles 16:28-29).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.
If You, Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared…
O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is mercy,
And with Him is abundant redemption.
(Psalm 130:1-4, 7)

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
(2 Timothy 1:12)

The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

• The hungry around the world
• Your activities for the day
• Whatever else is on your heart

Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you.” (Numbers 6:24-25)