AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT

II Peter 3:10-11 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything in it will be exposed to judgment.

The day of the Lord is set in heaven. No one knows when that day will come except God. When that day comes it will catch everyone by surprise, like a thief in the night. Why doesn't the Lord want us to know when it will be? He knows the heart of man. He knows that if we knew, we would wait until the very last minute to get right with Him. The world would be void of the good that could be done if His people were living instead of waiting. Our sinful nature is such that we will not concern ourselves with living in and for Him until we absolutely have to. He also knows that life is so fragile and if man were to wait, many who could be saved will be lost for eternity because death came upon them before that day and they weren't ready to die. In His great love for us, God in mercy hides the day the Lord is coming from us.

When the Lord does come, there will be no mistaking it. The Lord is going to change everything we know to be real. All creation will be affected by it. There will be a sound that will reverberate throughout all of creation followed by a purging fire. All the earth will be exposed and judgment will come. It will be a time that will cause all men to tremble with fear, except for those who are ready for it. For those who are saved, it will be the greatest moment in all of history. It will be a day of celebration beyond words. It will be the day in which we will see the Lord!

Judgment Day is coming, whether we are ready for it or not. We may be here physically for it, or we may be in the grave waiting for it. Either way, it's coming. If we are not in Christ on the day of its arrival, it will be too late. The Lord gives us ample time and opportunity to be saved and if we pass them up, there will be no mercy shown.

Are you ready for Judgment Day? If you die before it comes, it will be your judgment day. Now is the day of salvation. He who waits for another day, may never see another day to get ready. Live each moment of each day as if it were your judgment day. It very well could be.