Why It’s Important to Keep Watch and Wait for Jesus to Return

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Jesus told His followers to be faithful and intentionally ready for His return…

Everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory. And he will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

Mark 13:26–27

So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 

Matthew 24:42

And so, we watch and wait. Over the years, some have predicted a specific date, and still others have carried signs warning, “The End is Near.”

Yet, over 727,000 days have passed since Jesus ascended into heaven (Yep, Rev did the math.) and the Lord still has not returned.

The Book of Revelation gives the warning that no one should get lulled into the feeling that “it ain’t ever gonna happen.”

Because the moment is coming…

Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand toward heaven. He swore an oath in the name of the one who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and everything in them, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it. He said, “There will be no more delay.

Revelation 10:5–6

We have the Lord’s promise that He will return. We can, in a spiritually healthy way, long to see His return because we have God’s promises that promise all who trust and love Him an eternal future with Him in heaven.

But until that day . . . we understand the divine purpose to our waiting:

You must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 

2 Peter 3:8–9

We have countless reasons to rejoice and praise God . . . reasons to live for His glory, reasons to live in His love while we watch and wait for His glorious return.

A Prayer to Live Faithfully
While We Watch and Wait for Jesus

Father, thank you! Jesus is the evidence that You keep Your promises. You promised to send a Savior . . . a Messiah to save Your children from their sins. And You did. Many didn’t believe Him but for those who did, You satisfied the desire of their longing hearts. Your Word says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” (Psalm 37:4) You satisfy us each morning with Your unfailing love. (Psalm 90:14) And Jesus said that He came to give us “a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:10)

Your desire is that everyone will experience a satisfying life through Jesus. A satisfaction that gives us everything we need to live faithfully while we watch and wait for His return.

Please forgive me for the times I allow the enemy to fill me with doubt and impatience. Forgive me for the moments I give in to the noisy distractions the enemy uses to take my focus off of Your love.

Please make me mindful of the countless blessings You pour into my life. Help me focus on Your promises. And by Your grace, please help me love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength . . . and help me love the people around me in ways that show them the awesome truth of Your saving grace and the promise of life forever and ever with You because of Jesus. It’s in His name, I pray. Amen.

Do you remember what it was like when you were a child waiting for Christmas? It could feel like the waiting would last forever.

Before Jesus birth in Bethlehem, many had begun to doubt God’s promises . . . many doubted that He would ever come, and when He did, He wasn’t what they expected.

The enemy of our souls loves to tempt us with doubt. It was the first temptation and it has been the core of almost every temptation since.

But God can be trusted to keep His promises. He always has and He always will.

We have His Word…

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

Hebrews 10:23

We have His trustworthy promises and unfailing love as we watch and wait.

On today’s note write:

I will live each day focused on Jesus while I watch and wait for His return.

May God bless you today with all you need to be fully satisfied in His love.

Click here to read the rest of Revelation 10.

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