Thursday - Advent 1 Keeping Watch

Prayer:  Great God,  help us to keep watch this day so that when evening comes we can rest and abide with You,  God our Father.  Shake us out of our complacency and restore our faith so that we can live and work in Your presence.  Prepare our hearts this day for the coming of the Christ Child.  Emmanuel.    Amen.

 

Read     Matthew 24: 36 - 44

 

In this portion of the Gospel,  Jesus is telling the disciples to keep watch for the coming of God.  No one but God knows when the day or the hour will occur but to keep watch.    Jesus mentions the days of Noah and before the flood,  people were complacent and not remembering God.  

 

Jesus states that the day will come when one man will be left but the other man will be taken.  Two women will be grinding grain… one will be taken but the other will be left. Keep watch.  Keep the faith.    Do not become complacent.

 

What does it mean to be complacent in the faith today?    It isn’t something we set out to do but it does happen.  Complacency means we put our faith and our study of God as a very low priority in our life.   Continuing to mature in the faith means putting God first.    This doesn’t mean that we sign up for all volunteer opportunities within the Church.  How we develop our faith is through attending worship,  through study of the Bible,  reading the Bible, daily prayers,  daily devotion and reflection, and so on.     Our faith never remains stagnant.  Our faith changes and grows as we change and grow.   

 

This Advent,  what one thing will you do so that you do not become complacent in the faith?  This Advent,  how will you keep watch for the coming of God?

 

Prayer:  Come, Thou long expected Jesus.  You were born to set all people free  from our fears and our sins.   For in You we know that we are forgiven.  We know that we find our rest in You.  Holy God,  You are our strength and consolation.  Great God,  we know that the coming of Christ is the  hope of all the earth and the desire of every nation.  We come You with our hearts filled with joy.  Holy Son,  You are born to deliver all peoples.  You are born a child and yet a king.   Come Lord Jesus and bring Your  gracious kingdom. Rule in all our hearts alone this day and always.  Come Lord Jesus.  Emmanuel.  Amen.