One of the hardest things about being a Christian

Many Christians follow the Church Year Calendar which, beginning with Advent, goes through our family story of the promise of a Savior, His life, death, resurrection, ascension, and coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and then focuses on Jesus' teaching and how we who have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit follow Jesus as we look forward to His return as Judge of the living and the dead. We are now entering the last few weeks of the Church Year, and the emphasis is on being prepared for His return.

Jesus will return whether we are prepared or not. What is more, the Scriptures make clear that there will be signs to which we should pay attention, yet the Day will come as a thief in the night. And so, while some look at the situation in the Middle East and are saying it is obvious that Jesus will be returning any day, the Scriptures say that it won't be so obvious. And because that is the case, anticipation of that Day calls for special preparation – not the storing of goods and wealth for some sort of drastic apocalyptic event (although if that's something you want to do, do it). Rather, it's the preparation of one's heart and mind through meditating on the Word and worship that enables one to avoid distractions and anticipate Jesus' coming – not just on the Great Day, but also coming right now as your Good Shepherd.

Dr. Kari Vo writes in the Lutheran Hour Ministries devotion for November 9, "One of the hardest things about being a Christian is how long it takes! Even in Christianity, the first flush of faith grows cold sooner or later — if we aren't careful. As we walk through life doing the same old things over and over, our hearts may become tired and cold. Facing the same old temptations ... repenting the same old sins ... facing ... the same old problems once again. It's easy to lose heart. It's easy to lose sight of Jesus. The long haul is too much for us. And then we face Jesus unprepared — out of oil, out of faith, out of life."

But when each day we anticipate that the Good Shepherd who is with us is truly working for our good according to His purpose we are, through the Spirit's power, prepared to see God at work, even in the mundane. And the more our eyes are opened to see the Lord at work, the more we anticipate His coming on the Great Day and the joy of heaven when we shall know His love perfectly and rejoice with the whole family.