“For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.” (1 Thess 5:2) This verse sounds so familiar to all of us. Yes, we have heard this many times during sermon or read it in church newsletters and articles. What effect or impression does this verse bring about to you?

One day, as usual I returned home from work. It was about 8-9pm and the sky was already dark. I was walking home while talking on the phone. The surroundings were rather quiet. I was just in front of my house, a few steps before I reached the front gate. I could hear my mother calling out to me from inside the house, asking me to be careful. I was thinking, “No worries, I’ve already reached home, just a few more steps!”…

Suddenly, a great force came from behind attempting to snatch my handbag. The only thing that I remember doing at that time was shouting and never letting go of my handbag. I struggled with the thief for a few minutes before falling down. At that moment, I was thinking to let go of my handbag when I fell and hurt my knee. My mother was shouting and neighbours starting to come out from their houses. Thank God, the thief did not manage to snatch my handbag and scurried off when more and more people came to see.

I was startled and still in great fear when the thief left. I couldn’t help but to pray immediately and thank God for protecting me and keeping me safe. As I was sitting and trying to calm down after the incident, a lot of things kept running in my mind. The scenes of attack kept flashing through my mind, especially how fear struck me all of a sudden. It dawn on me about the day when the Lord will come. Then I remember the verse,”…that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.”

That day will really be out of our expectation. He comes when we are relaxing and thinking we are going to be saved. I asked myself, “If it was the Lord who came just now, how would I have faced it?” Why am I not feeling the fear as in the snatching incident although I always hear and read of His second coming? When life is smooth -ailing and wars or natural disasters don’t seem to strike us, then we have not the fear or realisation of how crucial it is to be well-prepared.

It is indeed true that we have not much time to prepare. What have we done all this while? We must not wait until incidents happen to us to keep us alert or remind us. One mistake that we might commit without realising it, is thinking we will be saved. Like the snatch theft incident, I thought I was about to reach home and thus lost my guard, not listening to my mother to be careful. At times, we tend to be like that. We have found the true church, been baptised, and received the Holy Spirit. However, is that all there is in our journey of faith? Have we fought a good fight and finished the race? “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.” (Matt 24:40)

Therefore, let us be reminded of the Lord’s coming. Be a faithful and wise servant to keep charge of the possessions entrusted by the master, lest He cast us out when He finds us unworthy, and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Endure till the end and we will be saved.

~ Matthew 24:43,44 ~