Dave's Diary

Daily Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

I’ve read that many people report that the best day of their holiday is the one just before it starts, when the anticipation is at its peak. Perhaps you have an “Advent Calendar” on your fridge right now, counting down to Christmas Day. Perhaps your children or grandchildren are “counting the sleeps” to the Day!

When it comes to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Day is not being heralded by a big-screen countdown timer for all to see. That Day will come upon us all unannounced. So we are called to be constantly spiritually awake and centred on Jesus. Our lights are to be on spiritually! How? Verse 8 gives the answer:

“Let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.”

We keep our lights on in a world of dark confusion by cultivating a living faith in Jesus. In other words, we live in His light through choosing to make our daily decisions as directed by His good, pleasing and perfect will – because we trust Him.

We keep our lights on in a world filled with the darkness of selfishness and hatred, by living in love towards others. In other words, we live in a way that brings light into their darkness.

And we keep our lights on in a world of dark despair by cultivating within ourselves the deep and abiding hope – the joyful expectation – of Jesus returning to unite us with Himself in the paradise of His presence.

When we live like this, v. 10 assures us that, “He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.” This verse uses being “awake” as a metaphor for being physically alive and being “asleep” as a metaphor for physical death. This is yet another reason for great hope. While we remain alive, we can have our lives “lit up” by our deep intimacy with Jesus, and when we die, that intimacy continues forever. So don’t wait for a better day … live in intimacy with Him now!

Lord Jesus, kindle the fire of Your presence in my heart, draw me in to the light of intimacy with You and then bring light through me into the darkness of the world around me by empowering me to live in faith, hope and love – today and always. Amen.