Monday 5th Aug 2019 - Daily Reading:
Matthew 24:32-51 Out of the Blue - by Becky Brooks
People will sometimes ask each other where they were when some momentous world event occurred. Where were you when you heard about Kennedy’s assassination? Or when the Berlin Wall fell? Or when you heard about the tragic death of Princess Diana?
We often do remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard about a significant event. It doesn’t matter how everyday and seemingly uninteresting the activity was, it becomes fixed into our brain by its association with something very out of the ordinary. We will be carrying on our normal lives, not expecting anything to disturb our routine, when suddenly some momentous news will come out of the blue.
This is, Jesus explains, how it was in the days of Noah. People were going about their daily business, unaware of what was about to happen, when the judgement of God came upon them. Similarly, when the Son of Man returns, people will be caught unawares, busying themselves with the humdrum activities of ordinary life.
We are not to slip into complacency like this, tied up in the everyday business of life to the point where we are caught unawares by the move of God. We do not know the day or the hour, but we can still be ready, be prepared, and be aware.
Even while we wait for his return, we can be alert to the move of his Holy Spirit among us. It would be a terrible shame if we missed the opportunity to receive a work of the Holy Spirit because we were too caught up in our routines to notice his presence. May the Lord open our eyes to see more clearly, and stir our spirits to respond to his Spirit.