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“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and
drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you
by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and
pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are
imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34–36
“That day.” These two words are spoken twice in the passage above.
To which day is our Lord referring? Clearly, He is referring
primarily to the day of our final judgment and is warning us to
make sure we are prepared for it in case it were to come at an
unexpected moment. So how do we prepare?
Animals have the natural gift of instinct. They know how to
survive, how to reproduce, how to gather food and how to avoid
danger. They know this because God has implanted this knowledge
within them. By this natural gift of instinct, they know what to do
and what to avoid.
We, as humans, also have basic natural instincts. But our natural
instincts are only sufficient to help us accomplish that which the
animals accomplish. Therefore, if we are to gain an even greater
knowledge and are to know how to properly prepare ourselves
spiritually for the sudden and unexpected coming of Christ, then we
need more.
The way we most properly prepare is through a special grace by
which God reveals Himself and His will to our human reason. When
that happens, we will know the best way to be fully prepared for
“that day” the moment it comes. Perhaps one of the best ways to
describe this ability is by describing it as a “supernatural
instinct.” When our natural instincts become open to grace, and
when the information on which we base our daily decisions in life
comes to us by an ongoing and personal revelation from God through
the infused gift of faith, then we will find that we simply know
what to do and what to avoid. By analogy, just as a bird knows to
fly south for the winter or a salmon knows to return to its place
of birth to lay its eggs, so we will “know” within our spirit how
to best serve the will of God and, thus, be most fully prepared for
His imminent return. “Supernatural instinct” is nothing other than
us allowing the grace of God to enter our lives so as to take
control of everything we do and to lead us into the fulfillment of
the perfect and glorious will of God. When that happens, we can be
certain that we are perpetually prepared for all that comes and
will never be caught by surprise like a trap.
Reflect, today, upon whether you are daily led by the knowledge of
God’s will alive within you as a supernatural instinct. If this
language seems foreign to you, then perhaps it is a time to ponder
the question “Why?” Why aren’t you led by God’s grace through an
ongoing gift of supernatural knowledge of His will? And if this
language does resonate within you, then spend time pondering this
gift and being grateful for the way that God has truly taken over
your day-to-day life.
My revealing Lord, I pray that I will always know Your will and
be led only by Your gentle but unmistakable promptings of grace.
Please lead me, dear Lord, so that I will be perpetually prepared
for Your glorious and final coming the moment it arrives.
Jesus, I trust in You.
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Featured images above: The Agony in the Garden By Andrea
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