Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

God Wants You Certain

"And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things." (1 John 3:19-20)

When someone asks you whether you know for sure that you are a child of God, how do you respond? I remember as a child trying to answer that question. I would always say, "Yes! I know I'm saved!" After answering, however, I would always ask myself whether or not I really knew for certain.

You see, when I was very young, I prayed with my mother to accept Christ as my Savior. But, I didn't, and still don't, remember it! I don't remember what I prayed, or where I was. I loved going to church, and told my grade school friends about Jesus, but I didn't remember when I got saved. I was so worried that I would pray, "Lord, if I'm not saved, please save me now." I prayed this prayer every night! I had no confidence in my salvation, but was too embarrassed to ask my parents or teachers for help.

A few years later, I began reading through the book of 1 John. As I read, I began to see many verses that told me how I could know for sure that I was saved. For example, 1 John 4:15 says that if I confess Jesus Christ as the Son of God, God lives in me, and I live in Him! For each of these verses, I would write a paragraph about how I knew from that verse that I was saved. Even though I don't remember what I prayed when I asked Jesus to be my Savior, I know that right now I am trusting in His payment on the Cross for my sins! I also know that God cannot fail, and that He has promised that if I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, then I am (not might be) saved and have eternal life.

Are you struggling with whether or not you are truly saved? Maybe you don't remember what you said when you prayed for the first time; maybe you don't know if you said the right words; maybe you don't even remember praying! Are you worried that you didn't "do it right" or that God didn't hear you? 1 John 1:9 says that God is "faithful and just to forgive us our sins" when you confess them to him! When you told God that you were a sinner and asked Him to forgive you, He did! In 1 John 5:11, 13-14, God tells us that we can know – not just guess or hope – that we are truly saved and have eternal life. God knows you better than you know yourself. Even though you may not "feel" saved, God knows whether or not you have truly trusted in Jesus Christ to be your Savior.

If you have doubts about your salvation, read through 1 John, pray that God will give you assurance that you are saved, and talk to your parents or teachers. You can know for certain that you are saved!

God wants you to have assurance that you are His child.

[Soldier4Christ]

God's Works Are Wonderful

"One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works." (Psalm 145:4-5)

Maria's father had surprised her by taking her to visit an aquarium. Maria could hardly believe all the wonderful things she saw there. In one tank were some white fish called "flounder" that could disguise themselves. They would lie flat on the sandy bottom of the tank, blending perfectly with the white sand so that all you could see was their eyes. In another tank were some sea creatures called "cone jellies." They floated gracefully through the water, and each one had a little light glowing inside of it. Some fish had beautiful bright colors. Some had funny long snouts. And some had feathery-looking fins that swished about them like a lady's ruffly skirt.

"Dad," said Maria, "How did God think up so many different kinds of fish to make?"

"It would be hard for us to think up all those fish, wouldn't it?" said Dad. "But not for our great Creator. He never runs out of ideas for making new things."

"Some of these fish live way down in the ocean where no one ever sees them," said Maria.

"You're right. Why do you think God put them there?"

Maria shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Why?"

Dad leaned closer to a tank to watch an angelfish swimming through a little tunnel of coral. "He says in His Word that all things are created for His pleasure--and that all His works praise Him. So at least one reason He put those fish deep in the ocean is just for His own enjoyment and glory."

God's creation is just one of the many wonderful works He has done. Some of His works are recorded in His Word. Some of them are things He has done in the lives of people in history. And some of them are things He has done in our own lives. When we notice His works and praise Him for them, we bring Him glory.

God has done many wonderful works, and He is honored when we notice them and give Him praise.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Satisfies His Creation

"The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing." (Psalm 145:15-16)

As they walked through the aquarium, Maria's dad helped her read the signs beside each fish tank. Most of the signs told where the fish in that tank would normally be found, what their habits were, and what they ate. Most of the fish ate seaweed, insects, or other types of underwater creatures.

Maria felt a little sad when she learned that some of the big fish liked to eat the smaller fish she had seen in other tanks. "Dad, why does God let the big fish eat the little fish?" she asked. "Doesn't He care about the little fish?"

"Of course He does. God cares about all of His creatures." Dad tapped the edge of the tank to point out a large shark circling slowly through the water. "But if He let the little fish have the run of the ocean, pretty soon there would be too many of them. That would cause problems for all the other creatures that share their living space. One reason that the big fish feed on the little fish is to control the number of little fish."

Maria thought about that, and it made a lot of sense. "We eat some of the fish too," she said.

"That's right. In fact, after the Flood, God told Noah that all the creatures of the earth could be food for humans. So…God feeds the little fish, and they become food for the big fish, and sometimes the big fish become food for us. Pretty wise plan, eh?"

Maria nodded.

"After we're done at the aquarium today, how'd you like to go out for lunch at a seafood place?"

Maria wrinkled her nose. "Only if I can get peanut butter and jelly there."

Dad laughed. "It's a deal. PB and J for you, flounder for me."

God cares so much for His creation that He makes sure every living creature has food to eat. He not only satisfies our desires for food but also our desires for things like friendship, forgiveness, and joy. In God Himself is everything we need to satisfy our hearts.

God satisfies the desires of every living creature.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Deserves Praise for His Works

"My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever." (Psalm 145:21)

As part of their aquarium tour, Maria and her dad watched a video presentation about deep sea life. Maria loved seeing all the pictures of the colorful fish that swim around coral reefs. She loved seeing the dolphins leap above the waves in pairs and hearing the strange songs that the whales sing deep in the sea.

But she began to notice that the narrator of the presentation never said anything about God. He talked about how amazing the sea creatures were. He talked about how mysterious their habits and lifestyles were. But he never once talked about the God who created them. Instead, he said they had formed all by themselves over billions of years and that "Mother Nature" had given them certain abilities.

When the video was over, Dad looked at Maria. "What did you think of that?" he asked.

"I liked seeing all the animals, but I don't think that man on the video knew God," she said.

"You're right. He didn't give God any praise for all of the wonderful undersea life He created," said Dad. "The sad thing is, there are thousands of people in the world today who would agree with him--people who don't believe that there could be a real God."

They walked out to the large "touch tank" where people could pick up sea urchins and crabs and hold them in their hands. The lady at the tank asked Maria if she wanted to hold a sea urchin. Maria held out her hand, and the lady placed a round, spiny creature in her palm. The sea urchin moved his spines gently back and forth, and they tickled her fingers. "What do you think of him?" the lady asked.

"He's wonderful," said Maria. "God did a great job of creating him!"

God deserves praise from us for all of His works, and for Who He is. Psalm 145 tells us it is right for us to speak to others about our wonderful God and the things He does. When we are careful to praise Him and give Him credit for what He does, we honor His name.

God deserves to be praised by all creatures, especially those who know Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Is Kind

"That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:7)

David had just become king of Israel. He summoned a servant of Saul, the former king, and asked him, "Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him?" (2 Samuel 9:3)

The servant told the king about Mephibosheth, a grandson of Saul who was still living. Mephibosheth had fallen when he was a little boy, and his injuries had never healed correctly. Now he was lame. He could not be a great warrior for King David, and he couldn't be of much help as a servant. If anything, he would only be a burden to the king.

David called Mephibosheth to his house. He told Mephibosheth that he had been good friends with his father, Jonathan. He invited the lame man to live with him in his palace, to own the land that had belonged to Saul, and to eat at the king's table for the rest of his life. Mephibosheth hardly knew what to say. He could not imagine why the king would even think twice about a man like him, but he bowed before David and gratefully accepted his offer.

How was David's act of kindness like the kindness of God? God had a plan to show kindness to us before we were even born. He showed us kindness through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and provided a way for us to come to God. In a way, we too were "lame." We were completely undeserving. There was nothing that we could do to help ourselves or to earn God's favor. We were dead in our sins. But because of God's great mercy and love, He brought us alive at the moment of our salvation. He brought us into His family and now He provides for us everything that we need. The best news of all is that His wonderful plans of kindness are not finished yet. Ephesians tells us that He has great treasuries of grace and kindness stored up for "the ages to come," throughout eternity!

God has shown His kindness to us in Jesus Christ, and He will continue to do so through all eternity.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Is Enough

"The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." (Psalm 18:2)

"Enough!"

When was the last time you heard that word? Did your dad say it to stop your siblings from fighting? Did a teacher say it after asking for volunteers? Or did you say it when your mom asked if you wanted more dessert? "Enough" means that you don't need any more; you have all you need and cannot take anymore. Can you imagine having enough video games to keep you busy for the rest of your life? How about having enough clothes, movies, money, or friends? You name it. It is hard to imagine having "enough" so that you could sit back and say, "There is nothing else I need or want."

The funny thing is, you already DO have "enough." Did you know that? Scripture says that God is enough. He is all you ever need. He is your provider, joy, peace, and life; He is everything. He provides living water to satisfy your thirsts and the bread of life to feed your soul (Isaiah 55:1-2). He knows all and is all. Friends, clothes, good grades, video games, and money will never be enough to make you happy. God is all you need. He is your rock (Psalm 62:6), fortress (Psalm 18:3), and shepherd (Psalm 23) – He is GOD.

Job recognized that God was enough. Job 1 records that after Job heard that everything was taken from him – his oxen, donkeys, sheep, camels, servants, and children – he fell down on his knees and worshipped God. He did this because he knew that God was enough to sustain him in every situation. God was all that he needed.

What do you think you need? Are you thinking, "if I only had such-and-such, I would be happy." God is everything that you truly want and need. He is enough.

God is all you ever need.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Is Forever Merciful

"O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy endures forever." (Psalm 136:1)

The line for the roller coaster was very long and the sun was very hot, as all the guys in Jack's family leaned against the railing. Their goal was to reach the sheltered area, get out of the hot sun, and eventually ride the "Big Thunder Mountain Railroad." But the line was going so slowly. Standing in the hot sun and listening to whining children, people were getting annoyed.

On top of that, there was a recorded voice that kept saying the same thing over and over again. "Howdy partners," said the man in a western drawl, and he went on to talk about the ride. His announcement always ended with, "We hope you enjoy riding on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad." Jack decided he had heard that recorded message over 50 times while they inched forward to the ride. After about the 20th time, he and his dad and brother started reciting it with him, always ending with, "We hope you enjoy riding on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad." Soon all the people around them were chiming in, "on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad." Well, it worked. The park workers got the message and sped things up some. Jack breathed a big sigh of relief when he finally got his turn on the roller coaster!

In Psalm 136, the Lord has something very important that He wants you to learn about Him. It is so important that He repeats "for His mercy endures forever" 26 times. Why do you think this idea so important?

Mercy means that someone does not receive the punishment he deserves. You might be thinking, "But I haven't done anything to deserve a punishment." The Bible says that you have. In fact, all men deserve to be punished forever in hell (Romans 6:23). That is why this phrase is so important! Without God's mercy, all people would have to spend eternity paying for their sins. But, "His mercy endures forever." That means that God not only holds back your deserved punishment in this life, but if you have accepted His gift of eternal life, you can enjoy God's mercy forever even though you don't deserve one minute of it! It will last for as long as God lasts, and God never changes. "His mercy endures forever!"

God wants you to be grateful for His enduring mercy.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Is Abundantly Good

"They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness." (Psalm 145:7a)

When we say that something is "good," what do we mean?

When something is "good," it does what it is supposed to do. Imagine that you are playing soccer, dribbling the ball down the field. You fake around one defender and then another. Now, the goalie is the only player left between you and the goal. You dribble to the right and then kick the ball high and to the left corner of the goal. It flies past the diving goalie's outstretched hands. That was a "good" shot: it did what it was supposed to do.

Psalm 145:7a says, "They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness." When David says that God is abundantly good, what does he mean? He means that God will always do what He is supposed to do. God never makes a mistake or a bad decision. Everything that He does is best for Him and for His creation – even when it doesn't seem to us that things are good. We are too limited to be able to say whether something is truly good or bad, but we can trust that the God always does good.

God is not just good; his goodness is great, or abundant. When Steph was a kid, she used to save up her money to buy small bags of M&M's. She would go home and lie on her bed and read a book while eating them one at a time, trying to make them last for a looooong time. But they always ran out way too soon! When something is "abundant," it means that there is more than enough of it. Abundant M&M's would be a bag that never ran out. That is how God's goodness is to all people: it will never run out!

God is always good, and His goodness is abundant.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Owns Me

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." (Genesis 1:1)

Virtually anyone who has any Christian upbringing at all has heard the very first verse of the Bible. And anyone who claims to be a Christian accepts the truth it teaches, that God created us! But how many of you have ever sat down to think just how that fact affects how you live and act every day?

Anytime a person creates something, he has a purpose for that creation. For example, your mom never just goes into the kitchen and starts throwing together some flour, sugar, and milk without having something very specific in mind that she plans to create with those ingredients. A potter never begins spinning her wheel until she knows what she wants to mold that clay into. And a carpenter never begins cutting up a new shipment of lumber into an odd assortment of shapes and sizes until he has some idea of the type of furniture he plans to build. God did not just create you on a whim with no design for you. Instead, when God created you, He had a very specific purpose in mind for you.

Since God created you for a purpose, He has a right to demand that you fulfill that purpose. Back to the illustration of the potter: If you were the one who purchased the clay, took the time and effort to spin the wheel, and used your skill to carefully shape the clay into a ceramic bowl, you would then be the owner of that bowl. You would have every right to decide whether it ought to be used for your morning cereal, or to hold a potted plant! Because God created you, He owns you and has every right to decide your purpose. But you do not have to wonder what that purpose is. Scripture identifies that purpose for you: God called you to salvation even before He created you. Why did He? "That we should be to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:12)

God owns me and has the right to demand that I act in a way that brings glory to Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Is Not the Kind of God Who Leaves

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5)

Have you ever missed the school bus or a ride to an activity that was important to you? Being left is a terrible feeling! It is embarrassing and frustrating, and it can also be really sad--especially if you miss out on something you were really hoping to see or do. Sometimes it can even be dangerous to be left behind. What if you accidentally got left in a football stadium? What if you were on a hiking trail and got separated from your friends? It could be scary, and lonely, and maybe even harmful to be left like that.

Sometimes we rely on people too much. It is okay to count on your friends and family to keep an eye out for you and to remember your needs and hopes. But friends and family are human, and sometimes they forget or make mistakes. Some people might take off on you because they want to do something selfish for themselves, or some might turn their back on you when you have done something wrong. People are human. They might let you down. They might give up on you. They might leave you.

The writer of Hebrews 13:5 was reminding readers of what Jesus said to His disciples--that He would never leave them. He would never forsake them. Jesus is God; He is greater than our human friends and family. He is better than anything we might try to be or to get on our own. In this verse, the Bible shows us the kind of God Who promises to be faithful. That means He is not the kind of God Who lets His people down. He is not the kind of God Who leaves His people alone. He keeps His promises.

God is not a leaver. He has always been more trustworthy than anything or anyone else. He has always been more faithful than any of our friends and family could ever hope to be. He is God and always has been. In the Old Testament (Psalm 27:10), the psalmist writes, "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up." Most fathers and mothers would die before giving up on their children or leaving their children! But if a parent ever did give you up or leave you behind, you could still count on God. Even if you yourself fail, even if your best-loved friends and family fail, and even if everything you know and trust were to drop suddenly off the face of the Earth, you can remember that God is not a leaver. He is not a forsaker.

Again, the writer of Hebrews 13:5 was reminding the Hebrew Christians what Jesus told His disciples about never leaving them. It is for this reason--that Jesus does not leave us--that this verse teaches we should not covet. If we remember the kind of God we have--that He will never leave or forsake His people--then we do not need to want things we do not have. We should not desire something so much that we think we need it in addition to God or instead of God.

Do you ever wish you could have a certain thing? Do you ever wish you could have a certain someone for a friend? Remember that things, and even humans who love you, will fail you. Look at those things and people you trust the most. If they were ever to leave you or let you down, would you have anything left? Do not covet things or people to keep you company. Count on God to stay with you.

God is not the kind of God Who leaves. We can count on Him more than anyone or anything else.

[Soldier4Christ]

God's Word Is Your Joy

"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice." (Philippians 4:4)

How can you rejoice in the Lord always? Sometimes life might seem too difficult for you to be happy. However, you can always rejoice in the God's Word. David, the man after God's own heart, found great delight in God's Word. David calls God his "exceeding joy" (Psalm 43:4). He says, "I will delight myself in [God's] commandments, which I have loved" (Psalm 119:47), and "let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight" (Psalm 119:77). David found so much delight in God's Word!

But what about you? How can you rejoice in God's Word? The first step is obvious: read it! Read it, looking for how great and amazing God is on every page. Read it prayerfully. Read it as God's words to you, and then talk back to Him in response--speaking right back to Him! Few people truly delight in God's Word, and most of them do not even try to delight in it. Do you ever read because you have to? or because you think you ought to? You should read God's Word as much as you can because you love it! You should not be able to get enough of it! You should want more and more time with God, just as a deer longs for the water brooks! (See Psalm 42:1.) Pray about it; ask God to help you love His Word more.

You can live joyfully because you have God's eternal, unchanging Word, and because you have a great God. No matter what happens, you can, and should, always rejoice in the Lord. Rejoicing in the God's Word isn't all! There are all kinds of things to rejoice in. Look in the Bible to see what else God has given you to rejoice in. Learn to delight in God's Word as David did, and say with him "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day" (Psalm 119:97). Rejoice in God's Word!

Rejoice in God's Word.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Desires You to Pray

"Pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

What are some of the things that you have been told to do this week? Maybe someone told you to clean up your room, or to look both ways before crossing the street. Maybe your mom told you to be nice to your siblings, or to help with the dishes after supper. You have probably been told by many people to do many things this week. But have you ever stopped to think about some of the things God wants you to do?

God tells you in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 that He wants you to "pray without ceasing." What does that mean? To "pray" is to talk to God. But what does it mean to pray without ceasing? "Ceasing" means stopping. So, you are supposed to pray without stopping.

How can you pray without stopping? Does that mean you have to be praying to God every second of every minute of every hour of every day? No. This verse is saying that you always should be ready and willing to talk to God. Prayer to God should be natural, just like talking to someone who is in the room with you. When you have a friend over to your house to play, you do not have to spend every second of the day talking to them. You spend a lot of time talking to them because you are ready and willing to talk to them at anytime.

How can you "pray without ceasing"? Well, when you wake up in the morning, you could pray and thank God for the day. When you are ready to study for school, pray and ask God to help you concentrate. When you are going to get together with friends, pray that God will help you honor Him in your words and your behavior. When you hear a police car or ambulance go racing by, pray for them as they go to help someone in need. See? There are many ways that you can constantly be talking to God.

Some people think that when they pray, they must have long prayers using big words. Those prayers don't impressed God. God desires you to talk to Him throughout the day, even if each prayer is short.

God desires you to pray without ceasing.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Is Light

"God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5)

Jared hurried into his bedroom to grab the football that was on his bed. He was in such a hurry that he did not even bother to turn on the light. His friend Thomas had just arrived, and they wanted to play football in the backyard for long as possible before suppertime. Whoops! Before he knew what was happening, he found himself on the floor. It was dark--too dark to see where he was going! Just then, Jared's dad came into the room and flipped on the light. Suddenly, Jared could see! There was his football on the bed, and on the floor beside him were the shoes he had tripped over.

"How did you expect to see without the light, Jared?"

Jared grinned, feeling a little silly. "I thought I didn't need it, but I was wrong. Thanks for turning on the light, Dad!" Jared picked up the football and ran outside to play with Thomas in the sunshine.

Trying to do things in the dark can be dangerous. But some people do live in the dark--not in the physical kind, but in spiritual darkness. The Bible says, "He that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth" (John 12:35). Many people try to live without God, trusting only in their own minds as they make decisions about their lives. This is walking in darkness.

It can be fun to do things your own way--at least for a little while. But continuing to walk in the dark leads to unpleasant surprises, like the surprise Jared got when he tripped over his shoes. Without the light, he stumbled and fell. Without spiritual "light," we will stumble and fall spiritually, again and again.

When we fall into sin, the results are even more painful than falling on the floor. Our sins do not hurt just us! Our sins often affect other people, and they hurt Jesus' testimony, too. But Christians do not have to walk in the dark. God is our spiritual light. The Bible says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation" (Psalm 27:1). Walking in the light protects us from falling.

Perhaps you are wondering, "But how do I walk in God's light?" The Bible also says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105). Here are some ways to walk in the light:

1. Read God's Word every day.
2. Pray and ask Him for help.
3. Obey what God's Word says.

When you are walking with God, you are never "in the dark."

[Soldier4Christ]

God Controls Water

"The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea." (Psalm 93:4)

Imagine how you might be spending your days off of school this winter. What might you be doing this winter, like the day after Christmas? You would not be in school, so you would probably sleep in a little longer than usual. The dozens of cookies and holiday treats you devoured in the last week have made you sick of sweets. Well, almost. Maybe you decide to spend some time organizing your bedroom (finding a place for all those new Christmas presents!) or reading a good book.

Let's pretend you are halfway your new favorite book, when your thoughts are suddenly interrupted by the sound of a loud train coming near your house.

But wait! That's no train! You don't even live near any railroad tracks! With a huge CRASH, the ceiling overhead is crushed in, and the walls of your home collapse! What you thought was a train was really a giant wave more than three stories high. In a matter of seconds, this huge wave destroys your whole house, and you are being pulled around by more water than you've ever seen. Suddenly, you are no longer worried about your book or your Christmas presents. Everything in you is focused on getting out of this alive and finding your family.

That situation is hard enough to try to imagine, but it would be much harder to believe if it ever came true for you. Do you remember that this really happened? It happened on December 26, 2004, to thousands of children in Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, and at least five other countries. An earthquake caused a giant wave called a tsunami (soo-NOMM-ee) to smash into their coastliness, killing over 200,000 people. They had no warning. They were going about their normal day-after-Christmas business, and that tsunami came on them as a complete surprise.

But was God surprised that this happened? Absolutely not! God created water on the second day of the Creation week. Every single droplet of every wave belongs to God, and He knows where every droplet is, every second of the day. One drop of water may seem insignificant to us, but joined with trillions of other drops, and given some force, water can do great damage.

But because God made the water, it could never be stronger than He is. He controls every path it takes and receives glory from it. We do not know why God sent the tsunami in 2004, but we can trust Him that He had reasons for His glory and for our good, ultimately. We can trust the One Who made everything we see that He is powerful enough to do what is best.

God is more powerful than water and weather, and we can trust Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Is No Thief

"For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3)

1 Thessalonians is talking about when Christ will come back and take His followers to heaven. Christ's return to Earth is a wonderful time in which God's victory over evil will be clear for everyone to see. But in reading these verses, it might be easy to get the wrong idea about what God is like. When you think about the Second Coming, do you think it sounds like God is going to sneak up on some people, rob and destroy them, when they least expect it?

Wait a minute! Could this be the same God Who is good, Who is love, Who is our Savior? No. This Bible passage is talking about the sudden and unexpected way God will choose to come back. Sadly, some people will feel fright, loss and destruction on the day Christ returns. These people are those unbelievers who did not believe and give their lives to God. They will be the ones who turned their back on Him and would not have faith in Jesus. These people will be shocked, and the things they hold dear will no longer matter. Everything they want to keep will be taken away from them, as if it were stolen. They will realize (too late!) that they were wrong about what really matters in life. For those people, the coming of the Lord will come as a shock. It will seem to them like a thief broke into their house in the middle of the night, taking everything important to them while they were sleeping. These people will be taken by surprise, just like a thief would surprise them. The Lord's coming will not be a nice thing for them. It will be scary and shocking and sad. They believed the lies the world told them and did not believe the truth.

But is this Bible passage trying to teach us that God is like some kind of robber? No. God is still good. He is still love. He is still the Savior. The day of the Lord may come as a thief for some, in the sense that it will be unexpected and (for some) very bad. But God is no thief. God's timing might be unexpected, like the coming of a thief, but He Himself is kind. Satan is the real robber. Satan really is a thief, because he steals lives and destroys people.

For God's people, Christ's return will still come suddenly. But it will not be a "bad" kind of sudden-ness. No one knows the exact day when Christ will come, but believers will look forward to that day, not be afraid of it. We ought to feel about it like we feel about an old friend that is always welcome to stop by for a visit. You might say to a friend, "Drop in anytime, I'm always ready for your company. You do not have to call or make an appointment! My house and my life will always be as clean as possible and open to you. I will not be ashamed or frightened to let you in. I'm already waiting for your next visit." Do you think of Christ's return that way? Are you ready and waiting to see how the Lord will come back and to see what He is like in person?

Christ's return is sure, but it will be hard for some and happy for others.