What Jesus Did! 'When You Don't Expect Him' — Matthew 24:42-44

Friday, November 14, 2025

[Talking about the end time, Jesus continued:] "So you, too, must keep watch! For you don't know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected."
— Matthew 24:42-44 NLT

Key Thought

It is so easy for us to get caught up in all the things that slow us down in life. There are always bills to pay, schedules to keep, struggles to overcome, difficulties to navigate, families to feed, and jobs to do. We can so easily get caught up in the mundane chores of these things that we lose sight of our glorious hope on the horizon. Since it seems so long ago to us that Jesus lived and died, we can easily lull ourselves into thinking that he won't return in our lifetime, much less at any moment. We lose our sense of urgency, passion, and expectation. Jesus wants us to always be ready - to live with expectation. He is forever at the door just beyond our boundaries of space and time waiting to usher in his fulfilled Kingdom in power and glory. Our job is not to know the day this will happen, but to be ready any day it may occur and to live our lives full of good deeds and holy anticipation of its certain coming!

Today's Prayer

O Lord and Master, I want to be prepared and waiting when you come. Please quicken my heart with your Spirit so that I can be alert and ready, anticipating your great victory and longing for your great triumph when you come. Father, please also use me to help prepare others with an eagerness and excitement about your Son's return in glory with the mighty angels. May we, the church of this generation, be ready when the day of victory, rejoicing, and triumph occurs. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

2 Related Resources by Heartlight

Last Hour
Article by Patrick D. Odum
Are you ready? Patrick Odum challenges all of us to live as if it is our last hour on earth.
Bringing All Things Together in Christ
Virtual Worship by Demetrius Collins & Phil Ware
Our hope, our answer, and God's unveiling of his greatest mysteries are found in Jesus, the Messiah, Son of God, the Christ who is our Savior and Lord! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in an online worship through words and music using YouTube videos to help us understand and connect emotionally with God's mystery to bring things together in Christ.

Illustration

Illustration of Matthew 24:42-44 NLT — "So you, too, must keep watch!"

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Friday, November 14, 2025

Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'You Thrill Me!' (Ps. 92:4-5)
"You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done. O Lord, what great works you do! And how deep are..."
Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'Testing the Purity of Our Hearts' (De. 13:1-3)
"Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, and the predicted signs or..."
Daily Wisdom
A daily devotional featuring wise counsel found in Scripture.
2 Peter 3:8
"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."
A Year with Jesus
A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
'Caring for the Family of Believers'
"Dear Child of the Father, You live in an interconnected world more than any other human beings in the history of planet earth. You can travel quickly..."

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

More What Jesus Did!