Suddenly!

Luke 17:28-29 "It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulphur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all".

In this passage, Jesus gives some information about the coming of the Kingdom of God, and Jesus' return to this earth.  He first of all tells that the kingdom is inside of us (v. 21), and that we can't find it by looking in this place or that place.  He also tells that when he returns, all people will see him (v. 24), like the lightning that lights up the sky.  And then he tells us that when this event happens, people will not be expecting it.  Things will happen suddenly!

Things sometimes creep up on us and suddenly they are there.  Things may seem quiet and normal, just as in the days of Lot.  They were carrying on their daily business and everything seemed peaceful to them.  They did not expect something horrendous to happen.  Yet it came!  Suddenly!  In our own lives we may let down and take it easy and we don't even notice how we are slipping away in our relationship with God.  But he will return, suddenly!  "Two women will be grinding grain together, one will be taken and the other left" (v.35). Here, Jesus seems to be speaking of the rapture, described in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.  It will happen suddenly!  And the day we meet Jesus may be even closer than we think - each of us is only a breath away from meeting our Maker! 

This is why Jesus tells us to watch and pray! We ought always to be ready to meet Jesus! Be awake.  Be in relationship with him. Be ready so he will be able to say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of your Lord!"  Don't let that day come upon us, unawares.

"Lord, I pray that you would keep me awake and alert and on the ball, and that my relationship with you would stay hot and fervent!  Come quickly, Lord Jesus!"