Ever Watchful

This morning I was walking with Marley, our Springer Spaniel, on the road that borders on a resort that provides wildlife tours of game animals kept within its electrically fenced boundaries.  We have walked near there most of the last two seasons and have rarely seen more than a glimpse of any wildlife in the fields and trees.  This morning was different.  A group of eight female deer were feeding from a large round bale of hay placed by handlers not more than fifty feet from the fence.  The does, who were under the watchful eye of a very large buck lounging on the snow covered ground behind them, heard and smelled us long before I became aware of their presence.  Marley’s low and tentative growl caused me to look to my left only to be met with sixteen big beautiful brown eyes staring straight at us. 

 Even as they clamped down on the hay already in their mouths their heads were raised as high as possible and their stare was so firmly fixed that it was actually a little disconcerting.  They didn’t blink and moved not one muscle. Their concentration on the possibility of danger had rendered them immobile with rapt attention.  Only one thing was of any significance to all eight of these impressive creatures and that was our presence at such a close proximity.  Marley, predictably, in the face of larger animals than herself, was careful to not escalate the situation beyond a tentative muted growl, hoping, I suspect, that I would simply tell her to move on.  I stood there for several minutes admiring their silent and perfect attention.  Marley returned the same.  It occurred to me as I admiringly stared back at them that this was the kind of attention that we all should emulate when it comes to a prediction made in the Bible.  

The second coming of Jesus is predicted more than a few times in the Holy Bible.  The words of Luke 21: 25-27 tell us:

25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;

 26 “men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.

 27 “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  

These startling words, all but ignored by modern mainstream religion, are the words of Jesus Christ.  Years ago, when I became a professing Christian, I made a conscious decision to accept what the Bible says, as best I can understand it, as the truth and only the truth.  In my Bible, the actual words spoken by Jesus are printed in red ink.  Every verse I have quoted above  and below is printed in red.  When I see the actual words of our Savior in the Bible,  I sit up and take particular notice.  If Jesus said it, you can be certain that it is going to occur.  We have no idea when He will actually return to take His saints, living and dead, to Heaven, but we know that He will come for those who believe in Him and follow his ways.  He tells us very clearly to pay particular attention in our watch for His return.  We are to watch and pray with the intensity of wild animals seeking out that which is dangerous. What we are watching for is not dangerous to believers, but it promises to be a glorious and joyful sight and eternal experience.

 34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.

 35 “For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.

 36 “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21: 34-36)

(Comments, corrections, suggestions or rebuttals are welcome.  My email link is contained in “About me:  view my complete profile” to the right of this page or use the comment section below which requires that you have a Google account. All are welcome to follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/markthall)