Do Not Be Carried Away

By Fatoki Ifeoluwa

Devotional Reading: “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” – Romans 13:11

It is quite easy to be carried away with the activities in the world, such that we forget that we are only pilgrims here on the earth. People often plan for days and years ahead, without giving thought to the return of Jesus, during which He will take us home with Him. Do we look forward to His return the same way we look forward to the next episode in a drama series, or the next edition of a football tournament? As believers, we cannot afford to be at home in the present age.

In Matthew 24, Jesus compared His return to the flood in the days of Noah, which came unexpectedly upon the then world. It was business as usual as we have it now. People planned and made parties, and the activities never seemed to cease. If we do not constantly remind ourselves of the return of our Saviour and King, we have the tendency to be carried away with the hustle and bustle of the present day.

This was why Paul called the believers at Rome to a reminder that each passing day simply meant that the return of Jesus Christ is closer. We must live with an understanding that the return of Jesus is closer than the next second. We must refuse to be carried away with the activities of the world around us, or the concerns of our days. We must remain clear-eyed, “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Christ Jesus” (Titus 2:13).

Prayer and Confession
Father, thank You for the assurance of salvation that I have received in You. Please help me that I would not be carried away. Amen.

Further Reading: Romans 13:11-14, Luke 12:41-48.