ALL – Psalm 78:56-64
ALL – Proverbs 12:24
OT – Deuteronomy 32:28-52
NT – Luke 12:35-59
Some events you can’t always be ready for. Break-ins. Natural disasters. Travel accidents. We can wear seat-belts, build with storms and earthquakes in mind, and install alarm systems and video cameras, and perhaps even keep a gun near the bed. But when something happens, we can’t know we’ll be ready.
Jesus is coming back, and He wanted people to prepare for His return, saying:
Everyone would be ready for him if they knew the exact hour of his return—just as they would be ready for a thief if they knew when he was coming. – Luke 12:39, The Living Bible
Here’s the problem: we can’t know when Jesus is coming back any more than we can know when a thief plans to break in or when an earthquake is going to strike or a car is going to come across the road into our lane.
But there’s one big difference between being ready for thieves, accidents and natural disasters and being ready for Jesus. Being ready for Jesus’ return involves our relationship with Him now.
We can’t have a relationship with any of the other things we fear. We can’t receive their instruction and guidance to being prepared. We can’t receive their reassurance that we’ll be ready when the time comes. But with Jesus, we can listen to Him day by day as we read His Word, we can talk to Him day by day and see how He responds, we can be guided by His Spirit in our hearts. Every moment of every day is about our relationship with Him—whether we’ll follow or go our own ways, whether we’re honoring Him or ignoring Him. And as we walk in relationship with Jesus Christ, we can be ready. Because when He comes, readiness means knowing and being faithful to Him.
Jesus said:
There will be great joy for those who are ready and waiting for his return. He himself will seat them and put on a waiter’s uniform and serve them as they sit and eat! He may come at nine o’clock at night—or even at midnight. But whenever he comes there will be joy for his servants who are ready! – Luke 12:37-38, The Living Bible
This is an event we can be ready for, an event we know is coming, an event to look forward to, an event that we can prepare for just by trusting and obeying Jesus in the regular rhythms of our lives. Are you ready? If not, why?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Showing posts with label ready. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ready. Show all posts
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Maybe Morning, Maybe Noon…
ALL – Psalm 30:1-12
ALL – Proverbs 7:24-27
OT – Exodus 23:14-25:40
NT – Matthew 24:29-51
Have you ever watched the road expectantly, waiting for a special relative or friend to come? I remember once, when I was in the second grade and attending boarding school, that I was looking forward to a visit from my mom. For some reason, I thought she was coming on Monday. My little eyes couldn’t stop watching the road that day, waiting for her to step out of a car and into my arms. I didn’t know when she would arrive, but I expected to see her sometime that day.
She didn’t come.
To make a long story short, she didn’t come until Wednesday (which had been the plan all along, but I had for some reason misunderstood). My heart was still hoping she would get there soon. I was still looking for her. So when I stepped out of my dorm for breakfast and she greeted me on the path, you can imagine what a happy second grade boy I was at that moment, wrapped in my mother’s joyful hug!
As Christians, we’re expecting a visit. We’re looking forward to seeing Jesus. And even though we know He’s coming, we don’t know exactly when. Jesus described what it would be like this way:
The world will be at ease—banquets and parties and weddings—just as it was in Noah’s time before the sudden coming of the flood; people wouldn’t believe what was going to happen until the flood actually arrived and took them all away. So shall my coming be. – Matthew 24:37-39, The Living Bible
Let’s keep our eyes on the skies as we go about the daily work our King has given us to do. Let’s be faithful, ready for our King!
How do you make sure to keep your focus on Jesus’ return?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 7:24-27
OT – Exodus 23:14-25:40
NT – Matthew 24:29-51
Have you ever watched the road expectantly, waiting for a special relative or friend to come? I remember once, when I was in the second grade and attending boarding school, that I was looking forward to a visit from my mom. For some reason, I thought she was coming on Monday. My little eyes couldn’t stop watching the road that day, waiting for her to step out of a car and into my arms. I didn’t know when she would arrive, but I expected to see her sometime that day.
She didn’t come.
To make a long story short, she didn’t come until Wednesday (which had been the plan all along, but I had for some reason misunderstood). My heart was still hoping she would get there soon. I was still looking for her. So when I stepped out of my dorm for breakfast and she greeted me on the path, you can imagine what a happy second grade boy I was at that moment, wrapped in my mother’s joyful hug!
As Christians, we’re expecting a visit. We’re looking forward to seeing Jesus. And even though we know He’s coming, we don’t know exactly when. Jesus described what it would be like this way:
The world will be at ease—banquets and parties and weddings—just as it was in Noah’s time before the sudden coming of the flood; people wouldn’t believe what was going to happen until the flood actually arrived and took them all away. So shall my coming be. – Matthew 24:37-39, The Living Bible
Let’s keep our eyes on the skies as we go about the daily work our King has given us to do. Let’s be faithful, ready for our King!
How do you make sure to keep your focus on Jesus’ return?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
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