Luke 12:32-40 (NRSV)
Read Luke 12:32-40 on biblegateway.com
Verse 32"Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Verse 33Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. Verse 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Verse 35"Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; Verse 36be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Verse 37Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. Verse 38If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. Verse 39"But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. Verse 40You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."
Devotion
As one ages, one can become preoccupied with challenges such as diminished eyesight, poorer overall health, and the accumulation of loss. However, one can also appreciate the learning that experience offers, and that living through things engenders patience, confidence, and peace.
When I was younger, I tended to let many things go until the last minute. Though I often was able to "pull the rabbit out of the hat," I also experienced anxiety and panic. Now I have discovered the freedom from worry that anticipation coupled with planning often provides. Parents and teachers were right after all! Imagine that!
So it is that I attempt to live each remaining day of this earthly life fully expecting that Christ could come today and will come today, and that I want to be ready. This anticipation fuels my desire to know Christ better, be Christ to my neighbor, love Christ, listen to Christ's call, and respond to the unexpected that comes each day.
Prayer
Good and gracious God, open my eyes, clear the cobwebs of fear and doubt, and equip me this day to seek you in all I say and do and in all I may encounter. Surprise me, and grant me your joy and peace. Amen.