Daily Devotional
Are You Ready for Jesus’ Return?
“Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.”
1 John 2:18-19
October 16, 2023
Ponder This
When I was a little boy, my dad was in the Coast Guard, and we lived in West Palm Beach. He was stationed in Hobe Sound, Florida. He drove a Ford Model A, and he could come home about forty miles from Hobe Sound. Before he went to duty, he told my brother and me that we had chores to do. And then we knew that when Dad came home, we had to report. I must confess, I was not always very diligent in doing everything my father told me to do.
But if you know anything about a Ford Model A, it has a peculiar sound. You can hear it about a block away. I could hear my dad’s car coming when he would turn in our neighborhood. We’d be out playing baseball, and if I saw that black Ford Model A coming, I would give a couple of different reactions. If I had done what my dad told me to do, I’d just take off and run to him, reach in the window, hug his neck, and kiss him—it would be such a joy to see him. Other times when I heard that Ford Model A coming, I went the other way. Why? Because I’d not been doing what he told me to do. Now, he was my father either way. I’m going to meet Jesus, but when He comes, I want to meet Him with boldness. I want to meet Him with joy. I want to abide in Him.
- When have you struggled with obeying God’s instruction?
- What are some things you can do to prepare for when you meet Jesus?
Practice This
Make a list of ways you want to prepare to meet Jesus. Ask God to equip you in those ways.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
