#DailyDevotion Don’t Live In Drunkenness & Worries But Watch & Pray
Luke 21:34-36
34“Be careful never to get your hearts burdened with drunkenness and its nausea and with worries about this life, or that day will take you by surprise like a trap. 35It will surprise all people wherever they live on the earth. 36But always watch and pray to be considered worthy to escape all these things that are going to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Be careful Jesus says. He does not want your hearts to get weighed down with drunkenness and hangovers and worries about this life lest Christ’s return takes you surprise like a trap. While we may certainly drink alcohol the scriptures warn us many times not to get drunk. If you have aftereffects of drinking in the morning i.e. headaches and nausea, you are getting drunk. Such should not be the case with Christians who have their hope in Jesus Christ. If you are drinking that much, you probably are also committing idolatry for you are turning to alcohol to provide with things that you should only be turning to God for—courage, strength, fearlessness, escape or comfort in the midst of problems, financial security and the list can go on.
Along with drunkenness we may fall into the idolatry of worries and cares about this life. Perhaps more narrowly you make an idol of this world and all that is in it. Such are people who are cast among the thorns. They had faith but the cares of this world choke it out. You may remember those who refused the invitation to the kings wedding feast because they had too much other things in this world they had to do. In Matthew 6 Jesus warns us about setting our hearts on the cares and worries of this world, “What am I going to eat and drink? What am I going to wear?” Such worries and cares denies the promise made by Jesus, “Your Father in heaven knows you need all these things. He provides for birds. How much more will he take care of you?” Jesus’ prescription? “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.”
When Jesus returns it will be a big surprise to everyone, well everyone but you, if you are keeping watch. The opposite of keeping watch is getting drunk and being worried about the things of this life. This life is passing away. Wear your life in this world loosely. Instead we are to watch and pray. Watching consist of meditating on God’s word privately and publicly, i.e. home and at Church. Pray at home and at Church as well. Pray Jesus says to be considered worthy to escape all these things that are going to happen. Now on the one hand I think he is speaking mostly to the immediacy of the destruction of Jerusalem. They were to pray to not be there when that happens. But we may also be praying the LORD Jesus take us home to himself before culmination of all things. Many Christians will be alive and living in the days immediately before Jesus’ second coming. There will be great turmoil everywhere but most people won’t see it. In the book of Revelation we see there is a twofold turmoil brought upon the earth in those days, spiritual and physical. Like the unbelieving Egyptians before the LORD delivered them out of Egypt, some of the plagues only effected the Egyptians. In these last days before our exodus, the spiritual plagues will only affect unbelievers. Some of the plagues of Exodus affected both Egyptians and Israelites. These represent the physical plagues upon the earth everyone, including Christians will experience. Be found worthy, that is with faith in Christ Jesus that you may stand before him on that day in his righteousness and glory.
Merciful Father, keep us faithful to your Son Jesus that we may be found worthy on the day of his second coming and enter his kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.