By Claudia Koenig
(First published April 8, 2016)
On the road in Israel meeting with believers throughout the land and listening to their hearts about their lives, I find that most are facing distractions that divert their focus from the Lord and what He is doing in and through their lives to share the Messiah with those among whom they live.
The focus is to entangle oneself in the issues of others’ lives to the point of becoming ineffective. The Spirit of God is grieved, and the souls around the believers are thirsting for the Messiah.
My thought was that we have to be prepared daily for the Messiah’s return in the midst of the heart issues of others’ lives and our own.
“Abba, we are in need of focus—being sober and vigilant. We are in need of keeping our eyes and ears listening to the Holy Spirit’s whispers getting us prepared for Your Son’s return as we care for the hearts around us. Holy Spirit, help us to devote ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word as we lead those around us to bended knees to seek You, Messiah, as the answer to their lives. Help us to not involve ourselves to the point of not allowing You to be the answer.
Your people in Your land need You. And You have sent the believers to be a witness of Your Saving power. You are the vine, and we are the branches. Aside from You, we can do nothing. We are Your servants waiting for your return. Keep us from distractions as we look to the needs around us. Keep our eyes looking for Your return.”
“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. — Luke 12:35-38