“Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. As in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming… Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.” Matthew 24:30-31,36-42,44-47
God, in His wisdom, tells us what we must know in order to know and walk intimately with Him. Coincidentally, there are many things He doesn’t reveal, or at least inform us of ahead of time. We live in the tension between the now and not yet, the known and yet-to-be-revealed. While our knowledge is incomplete, our mandate is anything but tenuous: Watch, be ready, be faithful. (Matthew 25:13,21; 1 Corinthians 13:9-12)
We do know that Jesus is surely coming again, and every person will be held to account. It is appointed unto each of us once to die, and then face judgment. As long as we’re here, God expects us to exercise the specific gifts He’s assigned and apportioned for the upbuilding of the church. (Matthew 25:31-35; Romans 12:3-8; Hebrews 9:27)
We also know the Lord supplies for every need in Christ, everything necessary to say no to sin and sloth and yes to Him and fruitfulness. We know He instructs us in the way to go, and guides us with His Spirit and word. We know that only when we abide in Jesus can we bear much fruit. (Psalm 32:8; 119:105; John 15:5; Philippians 4:19; Titus 2:11-12)
How are we balancing watching with action? How are we implementing what we know about our meantime until Christ’s return? Where are we investing what’s been entrusted to us- time, energy, experience, wisdom of years, talent- for God’s kingdom? Whom do we live and care for and serve for Jesus’s sake? (Matthew 25:16-17,35-40)
Lord, help me trust You with the unknown as I faithfully apply what I know for Your sake and glory.
As the rain and snow 