Ways to Watch

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”
– Matthew 24:42

"Watch out!”

What comes to mind when you hear that phrase? You probably think that something is about to happen, and you had better be alert. We shout this if someone is at risk of being seriously harmed, because we want that person to stop, look, and listen. It is an attempt to save him or her from imminent danger.

Our focus verse is Jesus' warning about a coming event which will gravely harm anyone who is not watching for it. He was warning of His Second Coming. In Hebrews 9:28 we read, “Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time.” The ones who see His return will be the ones who are watching for it.

Watching for the Lord's coming happens in a number of ways. First, we need to look within, watching to make sure our hearts are kept in a condition so we will be able to go with the saints when Jesus returns. We should let God look right down inside to find out if we are where He wants us to be. If our hearts are not right, we need to pray until God makes them right.

We also watch by looking into the Word of God, because His Word enlightens us. Perusing the pages of the Scriptures will stimulate our spiritual eyesight, allowing us to see exactly what will occur at the Lord's return. Study of the Bible is one way to watch.

Finally, we must look at the events that are transpiring in the world today—take notice of the fact that things are happening just the way God said they would. God's Word reveals events in the future, and we can see the fulfillments of those prophecies all around us. Being aware of these fulfillments will remind us that the yet unfulfilled prophesies of the Lord's Second Coming are also true, and that His return is quickly approaching.

If we watch in these ways, and pray, we will be ready when the Lord comes for His own.