Josh McCord

The Bible teaches not only that the Lord will return, but provides information about how that will happen, “...the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Jesus Himself said, “But of that day and hour no one knows” (Matthew 24:36). So, when Jesus returns, it will be sudden and unexpected. This truth should cause us to pause and consider, what if the Lord returned today?

If the Lord came back today, every earthly pursuit would instantly lose its value. Our money, careers, possessions, and even our plans for tomorrow would all fade away.

If the Lord returned today, would He find us faithfully serving Him with gladness? Would He find us distracted by the cares of this life, unprepared to meet Him? What would matter most is whether we are found in Christ. Paul urged the Corinthians to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58). The return of Jesus will be either a day of great joy or a day of great sorrow. For the faithful, it will be the moment of eternal reward, the fulfillment of every promise. For the unprepared, it will be too late to change.

There is no better time than now to obey God, to live faithfully, and to prepare for the day that will surely come. Peter reminds us that “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9). His delay is giving us time to turn to Him, but the delay will not last forever. One day, the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised, and we will all stand before the Lord in judgment. At the end of the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, Jesus said, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13). We should live in constant readiness, watching and waiting for His coming.

Fanny Crosby wrote a song that was published in 1876 titled “Will Jesus Find Us Watching?” The chorus of the song asks the following questions:

“O can we say we are ready, brother?

Ready for the soul’s bright home?

Say, will He find you and me still watching,

Waiting, waiting when the Lord shall come?”

If the Lord returned today, would you be ready to meet Him?