On alert

Luke 21:38, “And all the people would get up early in the morning to come to Him in the temple to listen to Him.” Those who work, set an alarm to wake up and prepare to get ready. Maybe it’s getting a cup of coffee or taking a shower to get our body and mind ready for what’s in store for us that day. There are times I have overslept and end up rushing to work. I hate those times. I feel unprepared for the day. My mind isn’t focused; my body is sluggish. Maybe I just spent the last hour driving in traffic. I used to work 45 minutes from my job. I knew to avoid the traffic I had to leave my house before 7:00. Otherwise, I would be caught in traffic and be late to work. I would be at the mercy of other drivers. My patience would be tried. The closer it got to 8:00, the more anxious I would become. Brake lights would be seen the entire trip. One morning, I rushed out of the house knowing I would be stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic the entire trip. When I finally arrived at work, I parked the car and got out hurrying to the doors. Standing in the elevator, I happened to look down and realized I had my house slippers on my feet, not my shoes. I was so embarrassed, but I was already 5 minutes late. I would have to wait until lunch to go get another pair of shoes from the nearest store. As a bookkeeper, I was lucky that I could sit at my desk and hope no one saw my feet. Luke 21:36 is a reminder of how important it is to keep on the alert. “But keep on the alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” We can’t afford to oversleep, to hit the snooze button. We must keep on the alert, praying at all times. Otherwise, we will find ourselves without the strength to stand. Luke 21:27-28 says, “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”