Stay Awake, the King is Near
Evening Peace for the Season of Advent
Tonight’s Verse
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
Matthew 24:42
Reflection
Advent is a season of watching and waiting, a time to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. In Matthew 24:32-44, Jesus teaches us to discern the signs of his return and live with expectant hope. He compares the unfolding of God’s plan to a fig tree budding in spring - an assurance that his promises are near, even if we don’t know the exact day or hour. This call to stay awake is a call to readiness, inviting us to live each moment with our eyes fixed on him.
The busyness of life can make it easy to drift into spiritual slumber, especially during the Advent season. Yet Jesus reminds us that his return will be sudden, like a thief in the night or the days of Noah. The challenge of Advent is to resist distraction and live with the joyful anticipation of meeting our Savior. This doesn’t mean living in fear, but in faith - aligning our lives with his Word and walking in his light, so that we’re prepared to welcome him at any moment.
Tonight, as you reflect on this passage, consider how you’re preparing for the coming of Christ. Are you awake to his presence in your daily life? Advent reminds us that the King is near, calling us to faithfulness and hope. Rest tonight with a heart ready to receive him, trusting in his promise that those who watch and wait for him will share in the joy of his eternal Kingdom.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for the promise of your coming and the hope it brings. During this Advent season, help me to stay awake and watchful, living each day with faith and expectation. Align my heart with your will, and free me from distractions that keep me from fully trusting in your timing and plan. As I rest tonight, fill me with the peace of knowing that you are near, and prepare me to greet you with joy whenever you come. In your name, I pray. Amen.
Hymn Verse
“Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.”
(Joy to the World, Isaac Watts, 1719)
This Evening Peace devotional reminds us of the Advent call to stay awake and ready for Christ’s coming. As you rest tonight, let the hope of his return inspire you to live with joyful anticipation, prepared to welcome him at any moment.