Focused. Diligent. Ready.

Matthew 24:36

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”

I usually try to keep focused on a task at hand. But sometimes my mind will wander, or I will get distracted because something else grabbed my attention. Before I know it, I have forgotten what it was I was doing in the first place. My focus had become obscured and blurred, and my attention went somewhere else.

My wife affectionately refers to my distractions as “something shiny has caught my eye.”

During the Olivette Discourse in Matthew 24, Jesus is telling His disciples about the things to come in this world before He returns after His death and resurrection, and before the end of the age. He tells them of signs to be watchful for. He tells them to keep busy preaching the gospel until the whole world knows. (That goes for us too!)

He then tells them that many deceivers will come in His name and draw the church away. That lawlessness will prevail, and hatred will increase, and the love of God will grow cold.

But Jesus also encourages us to be focused, and if we endure the things that must come to pass, we will be delivered.

Just be careful and have all your wits about you. Read and know your bible. For it is the only way that will keep you from being distracted or deceived. Don’t be so quick to swallow everything a preacher preaches unless you can verify and validate the truth from the Scripture.

For as Jesus said in verse 23-25, “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.”

The 'end of this age' will come soon enough, but only when God says so. Jesus’ return to the earth is surely imminent, but the day or hour remains unknown to us when He will come. All we must do while we wait is to be focused on Him, diligent in our faith and ever ready for His return.