- Overcomer Literature Trust
- Swindon
- Wiltshire
‘What ‘Watching’ Means.’
By S.D.Gordon.
We are continually urged in the Bible to “watch”, but how can we? The very fact that so much time has gone by, and that there were those who were eagerly expectant in Paul’s day and yet were disappointed, seems to make it difficult to be really expectant in one’s heart.
There are some simple things that can be noted that help toward answering this question. The Coming might have occurred in any generation since our Lord went away. The expectation of every one in any generation whose heart burned with this hope was well founded. It was always possible that the expectation would have been satisfied. It has always been possible that every expectant heart might have seen the lighting of the skies above the sun’s shining.
Another thing for us to keep warm in our hearts is that it is certainly nearer now than ever before. Those two thousand years that have gone by without the expectation being satisfied, make it certain that it is nearer than ever before.
Then it helps to note just what “watch” means. It does not mean counting dates. It does not mean standing gazing up into the sky. The disciples quickly stopped that when the two men spoke to them. Yet there may be many a glance up toward the shining sun and the vaulted blue, as we go about our daily task, thinking how wondrous it will be when some fleecy white cloud like that one yonder does bring Him. “Watching” means being ready, ready to meet Him. It means that we are living our life, and going our rounds, in a way we would be glad to be doing when He does come.
In our Lord’s parable about the faithful and wise steward, Luke 12 v41-44, watching means doing the task assigned, having everything in the shape we would like to have it when our Lord comes, and the shape He would like to have it. Watching means obeying, it means doing His sweet will with all our heart. It means doing it to please Him who is coming. And all the while the task is sweetened and eased by the warm and warming feeling within, ‘He is coming, and maybe I shall see Him when He does’.
And one more answer may be added. Jesus Himself puts in our heart a longing for Himself. There may be very little instruction in or knowledge of His Word, but where the heart is in simple warm touch, kept warm and made warmer by brooding over the Word, and by being alone with Him, there comes a yearning for Himself that can be satisfied only by Himself, and will be fully satisfied only when we see Him.
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