December 16: Matthew 17:10-13

Key Verse: Matthew 17:12
But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognise him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.’

Devotion:
Some people get very particular about what is going to happen in the end times before Christ’s return. To them I say we should be focusing on what we are acting like before God and not focusing on working out the exact turn of events! Jesus warned the disciples about focusing on the wrong things a few times and this is one of them.

Some were teaching that Elijah would come first. Jesus’ response was to say, yes that is true, but he had already come and nobody noticed! People get too fixated on the physical world around them and on how others should behave; they miss the important happening because they are not taking each day as it comes.

When we expect things to happen in a particular order because we think we read or heard about it, we may well miss out on the real things happening because they are not what we expect to happen. We are so focused on what we expect, we miss the unexpected.

We have been told enough times Christ will return like a thief in the night, not announcing His return to everyone and everything, but coming and going without people realising… because we are focusing on what we expect rather than what is happening!

Points to Ponder:
Are you too caught up in what you expect to happen?

Are you truly listening to what God is saying here and now?