Nougat 22

Did you believe in Santa Claus or Secret Santa’s? Those mysterious providers of gifts no one seemed to catch in action. I never believed in Santa, but definitely exchanged a gift or two as a ‘pixie’ or ‘secret Santa.’ I’ve also had the pleasure of wanting to know who was my secret Santa, and putting measures in place to achieve my goal.

Do we have a similar zeal for finding out about Christ’s return? Before offering a response, please consider today’s Holy Nougat

““So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24‬:‭42‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Keep Watch

No, this neither reruns of ‘Are We There Yet?’ or a Tyler Perry drama. In asking us to Keep Watch, we are invited to stay alert, awake, or vigilant. In short, we must be on our guard. Of course, the question may be, guard against what, and the response … against being caught out instead of being caught up.

You see siblings, we’ve been advised that the birthing pangs announcing Christ’s return have the potential to challenge the security of our faith. Remember that even the days will be shortened to accommodate our concerns and fears. I have stated previously that we are in the pre-season. And yet, already Christians face the highest levels of persecution for their faith globally. There’s reason to stay alert.

It’s also worth noting that the invitation, rather the imperative to keep watch becomes a key theme in the text following. It is a motif retained in chapter 25, also about Christ’s return, and it’s also included in Jesus’ instructions to the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane as He prayed in Matthew 26.

Interestingly, the use of keeping watch also reminds me of Luke 2; where the shepherds were ‘keeping watch’ over their flocks sometime at Jesus’ birth. How profound that the news of Jesus the Good Shepherd’s First Coming was announced to humble shepherds keeping watch! For me, the message from this digression is that those of us who have been anointed to shepherd others in the faith ought also to ‘keep watch’ over our sheep with prayer and petitions for their protection, preservation and salvation.

The image of the shepherds took me to the Magi, whose watchfulness included studying the prophecies; watching for the signs and comparing them with the prophecies; noting the subtle differences in their context (such as the unusual ordering of the stars) and then discerning the significance; being ready for God’s direction; so that they could follow the star. And as they traveled, they stayed together for protection and support.

Now that we’ve been awakened, are we studying the prophecies – Jesus’ and those of Daniel and the apostles? Do we try to align what’s happening with the prophecies? Are we noting the subtle differences that mark the changes in our spiritual seasons? Are we in readiness for God’s directive – whether to meet God with the dead in Christ or to wait patiently like Simeon and Anna? Are we in fellowship with others for our protection and support while we keep watch? Which star do we follow – the shepherds in our time or our Good Shepherd?

Lastly. Jesus’ invitation here, before and also in chapter 26, is to guard against temptation. May we remain ‘woke’ as we fix our eyes on Jesus, the keeper of our faith, so we escape the tempter’s snare

Keep watch

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May all we seek be found in Christ