Be watchful! Be alert!
You do not know when the time will come.
Jesus himself will give us the strength.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We don't know when this day is but we can be ready. We can't know the day or the hour but rather than fearing it we long for it. We have the knowledge and spiritual gifts to welcome Jesus when he comes. We are ready to see all things set right. We long to see sin and death defeated.
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
with the mountains quaking before you,
It is this longing that we should cultivate. The longing itself helps us to stay awake. We desire the desire of nations and that desire reminds us why we should fight against the lesser desires to blur our vision and dull our minds, putting us, little by little, to sleep. This desire is a spiritual gift which we have received but which we must use. It is longing for God to which we must open ourselves.
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies (see Romans 8:22-23).
So let us long for the King to come when morning dawns. It's too exciting to sleep, so we stay fully awake and alert in the power of the Spirit, ready to welcome him.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.
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