Watch

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 7
“Watch therefore; for ye know neither the day nor the hour." Matt. 25:1313Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. (Matthew 25:13). There will be "times and seasons" for the waiting Jews after the Church is gone, but there are none for us. The Lord may come today, or He may come tomorrow. He may come at morning, noon, or night. The one solemn word He left ringing in the ears of His disciples was, "Watch.”
“Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that He shall gird Himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if He shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants." Luke 12:37, 3837Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. 38And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. (Luke 12:37‑38). Who can tell the unutterable blessedness and joy of those who have waited and watched for Christ, and who will be fashioned into His glorious likeness at His coming! "We shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." 1 John 3:22Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2).
What is the power of this wondrous hope? "Every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure." 1 John 3:33And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:3). If we shall be like Him then, we want to be like Him now, purifying ourselves even as He is pure. Shall we then not cultivate bridal affections in our hearts and keep ourselves, as a chaste virgin espoused to Christ, unspotted from the world? Will He find us walking with defiled garments; walking with the world that crucified Him and now coldly rejects His message of grace? Are we members of its societies, guests at its pleasure parties, attendants at its theaters, and companions of those who by these things drown the voice of God in the conscience?
He who was the light of this world is gone, crucified, and cast out. And now it is night—the long desolate night of His absence. Shall we seek shelter and comfort and carnal ease where He was slain? May we rather cleave to Him with undivided affections, enduring the cold chill of the night, and keep our lamps burning brightly until He comes. Let us go forth to meet the Bridegroom. "Surely I come quickly" are His blessed words of cheer to our lonely and waiting hearts. Let the sound tremble on the chords of our hearts, making melody to Him whose heart will never be satisfied until He has us with Himself. Let us wait for that moment when His heart and ours shall be mutually satisfied, when "The marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready." Rev. 19:77Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (Revelation 19:7). "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
A.H. Rule