How to be Thief Proof
Today’s Verse:
But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. ~Matthew 24:43
Have you ever been the victim of a thief? If you have, you probably felt a great sense of intrusion and violation. Once you have been a victim, you take great care in preventing yourself from having this happen again. Jesus uses the illustration of a thief who takes advantage of a homeowner to emphasize the importance of being ready for the coming of our Lord.
We see the stealth.
A thief prefers to break into a home that is unoccupied and when it is dark. He might come earlier to scope out houses where people are not there. He stealthily checks doors and windows for possible ease of entry. In his stealth, he is looking for careless homeowners who did not lock things up. He does not draw attention to himself. He does surveillance of a neighborhood to observe the pattern of entry and exit of homeowners. He will make his move when he feels confident that the homeowner does not expect a break in.
We see the stealing.
A thief has one goal: to steal and spoil. He is looking for money, jewelry, and valuables. He will ransack a home to find valuables. He will leave the place in a mess. He takes what is not his. He will start in the master bedroom and proceed to the other bedrooms. He looks for jewelry boxes, valuables left out in the open, cell phones, and electronic devices. His gain is the homeowner’s loss. He has no remorse for taking property that belongs to another person.
We see the sorrow.
The homeowner is very upset that his house is broken into. He quickly looks throughout his house to see what valuables have been taken. He is upset that he was a target. He is upset that he might have been careless. He is upset that he did not have security cameras or a home alarm system. He is most saddened that he could have prevented his home from being the target of a thief.
We see the symbol.
The thief coming when a homeowner is unaware is a symbol of the coming of Christ. Jesus said that His coming will be like a thief. He will come when people are slothful and inattentive. He will come when people are too preoccupied with other things and are unconcerned.
We see the circumspection.
“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” The best way to be thief proof is to be ready, watchful, and vigilant. We must make our life thief proof. Live every moment as if Jesus will come back now. Thief proof your life by walking in holiness. Thief proof your life by being an avid witness for the Lord. Thief proof your life by not giving place to the devil in your spirit and speech. Abide in Christ so that when He shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed at His coming.
Don’t let the coming of our Lord catch you by surprise. Don’t let His coming catch you like a thief invasion when you are away from your home. Be ready and responsible.
Have a circumspect God morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Jeremiah 42-45