Like Thief in the Night
"for you know very well that the day of the Lord will
come like a thief in the night." - 1 Thessalonians 5:2
In October 2003, a string of Southern California wildfires
eventually claimed two-dozen lives. The flames moved at a
speed faster than people could flee. Responding to
complaints that some residents did not receive enough
warning, Sgt. Conrad Grayson said, "We're begging people to
leave, and they don't take us seriously. They want to pack
some clothes, or fight it in the backyard with a garden
hose. They don't seem to understand that this is unlike any
fire we've seen. If people don't move fast, they're going to
become charcoal briquettes."
In rural East San Diego County, the fast-moving Cedar fire,
sparked by a lost hunter, surprised fire officials by how
fast it spread. Jon Smalldridge was in East San Diego
County, and was warned by his dog. He soon began to
frantically warn his neighbors, only to have some disregard
him or respond too casually.
He told of those who tried to save their televisions and
computers before escaping. "They looked like they were
packing for a trip. The ones who listened to me and left the
area, lived. The ones who didn't, died."
The Lord is not slow, but patient, wanting everyone to be
saved. But at the end of His patience, He will come again.
Today in prayer, rejoice that the Lord will return and seek
to be prepared for that day.
"Just as a thief comes in the night, when no one expects
him, so too, the Day of the Lord will come when people are
feeling safe and secure." - Brian Bill
God's Word: "But understand this: If the owner of the house
had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not
have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready,
because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not
expect him." - Luke 12:39-40
By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2004, Devotional E-Mail
DEVOTIONS IN THESSALONIANS
pkennedy@devotional.com