Today's Bible reading is the 13th chapter of the Book of Mark. You can read it here at Bible Gateway: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+13&version=NASB

After speaking of the end times, describing signs that would be indicative of those times and warning of false prophets and false Christs, Jesus tells His disciples, "but of the day or hour no one knows". He goes on to explain that neither the angels in Heaven or even Himself knows the day or the hour but His Father alone. Because they do not know when these end times will come to pass, He instruction to them is to "keep on the alert". He says this in verses 33 and 35 and then in the final verse of the chapter He says, "What I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the alert!'"  

Over the years it has seemed that Christians have often been more concerned with figuring out the "day or the hour" than they have been about being on the alert. God does all things well and there is no doubt in my mind that this includes His sovereign choice to not disclose these things to us. We ought to be well content with not knowing, knowing that He does what is best for His children. But we ought to heed the words of our Savior and endeavor to be alert. Spirit lead I believe we can "discern the signs of the times" as we remember the words of the Hebrew author who wrote, "For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay." Of this we are sure.