Devotional by Angie Mosteller

“But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day [the day of the Lord] should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.”

1 Thessalonians 5:4-6

The “day of the Lord” is a phrase often used by the Old Testament prophets for a day of God’s judgment. The Jewish people longed for this day, assuming it would be a time of vindication in which God would judge their enemies. Sadly, the prophets had to upend this assumption, warning the Jewish people: “Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord! Why do you long for the day of the Lord? That day will be darkness, not light” (Amos 5:18). The prophets indicted the people for worshiping God with rituals but not with their hearts or their actions. Sadly, God had to bring judgment on the Jewish people many times in history, and the “day of the Lord” turned out to be a time of God’s “wrath and fierce anger” (Isaiah 13:9) against them.

The New Testament also references a “day of the Lord” when Jesus will return to judge the world. Though it will be a day of dread for unbelievers (those who live in darkness), we are told that it will be a “great and glorious” day (Acts 2:20) for believers and a day of salvation (1 Cor 5:5): “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 5:9). The day will come like a “thief in the night” (1 Thess 5:2) to those who are living in darkness, but the “children of the light” (1 Thess 5:5) should be awake, ready, and longing for Christ’s return.

Some questions to consider:

1. Am I looking forward to the return of Jesus (the “day of the Lord”)? Why or why not?

2. What does it mean to be a “child of the light”? Are there areas where I need to grow so that my light can shine brighter?

3. Paul mentions the following practical ways that we can shine: be sober, be an encourager, show gratitude, help the weak, be patient with everyone, strive to do good, don’t seek vengeance, rejoice always, pray continually, don’t quench the Spirit, reject evil, etc. (1 Thess 5). Paul also encourages believers to be “blameless and pure” ‘in order to “shine like stars in the sky” (Phil 2:15). Do any of these examples resonate with me as a strength? What about a weakness?