Be Still And Know

1 Thessalonians 5.5-6 NLT 'You are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.' When I was in my teens, I did a fascinating six-week course at a local fire-station. Because it was held over a number of weeks I got to know the fire-fighters and became familiar with the atmosphere of the station. In many ways it felt quite relaxed but it was also clear that they were ready at any moment to respond to a call. When the deafening bells sounded, they responded instantly. As they ran, they were putting on their jackets and within moments they were all on the fire- engine and heading out of the station. It was an impressive performance and gave me a wonderful picture of what it means to be alert. That is precisely Paul’s message to the Thessalonian church. Jesus might return at any time and so they needed to ensure that they were always ready for it. Paul tells his readers that they need to have cl