As a young woman, I was driving down a short country road at a pretty good clip when I turned a corner and was surprised by a police car coming in the opposite direction. I quickly tapped on my brakes to slow down, hoping beyond hope that he had not noticed my speed. He did. The familiar red and blue lights started flashing as he approached me. We stopped parallel and I rolled down my window. The officer was merciful to me and only gave me a warning.
Paul writes, "While people are saying, 'There is peace and security,' then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober" (1 Thessalonians 5:3-6).
It was my breaking the speed limit that caused me to be taken by surprise. If I had been obeying the law, I may not have expected the police officer at that moment, but it would not have startled me.
As believers, we do not know the day or the hour of Christ's return, but we are not surprised that he is coming.
