December 5 Watch
“The angels keep their watch”
Pray
Keep my eyes open, Lord, for the signs of Your coming. Keep me attentive to Your Word, always ready to let slip the temporary things of this world and to claim the things of eternity. Amen.
Read – Psalm 59:9
“O my Strength, I watch for You; You, O God, are my fortress.”
Reflect
It’s easy to become so absorbed by the frantic rush of this world that we lose sight of the glory that is to come. How many days go by, filled with everything from car-pools to kid’s soccer, from deadlines to honey-do’s, and we don’t give more than a passing thought to Jesus. It’s as though He never came. Instead of being at the center of our lives He is pushed to the periphery. Instead of giving Him the firstfruits we give Him what is left over after everyone else has taken a bite.
Again and again in the New Testament believers are urged to be watchful, to keep their eyes open for the coming of the King. The early church lived in eager expectation of the Second Coming. People anxiously interpreted the signs of the times.
The promise of Christ’s return holds true, though we “know not the day, nor the hour”. Just as importantly, the promise of His presence has not been revoked. We need to watch for signs of His glory all around us. If we look, we will find them. Paul uses the imagery of being on tiptoe, waiting for the Son of God to come into our world. Can we recover that childlike sense of expectation, and not just at Christmas? The gift of Jesus is not hidden under a tree but nailed upon it. If our eyes are open, we will not fail to find signs of His sacrifice, of His mercy, and of His amazing love.
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