“Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.” (Luke 12:33-36 KJV)
The Bible authors used terms like straightway, immediately, and suddenly to emphasize the importance of being ready to cooperate with God or to meet him face-to-face. Our Lord has already given us the evidence we need for such preparation. He does not announce his moves with a huge fanfare or advertising campaigns. We simply must be ready and prepared at a moment’s notice.
From his instructions in today’s passage, Jesus expects us to be ready at all times. Nothing must hold us back or weight us down. In other words, we should allow nothing to be an obstacle to us. Not excess material wealth. Not sentimental treasures. Not the corruptible stuff of this world. In a word . . . nothing.
This needs immediate attention! Do not procrastinate about your preparations. Get everything in order! Perhaps you are only a moment from achieving God’s purpose for you. Go ahead and do it! Don’t let discouragement hinder your faith. Don’t let procrastination steal your goal or the opportunity to move closer to your goal.
We have to decide if we will accept God’s challenge and run the race or let our lack of preparation cause us to miss his best. Will we be like the invalid gentleman of John 5 who waited 38 years for others to act on his behalf? He laid by the solution all those years and lived a deprived life.
We know that God moves in mysterious ways, but we should also know that God moves in momentous ways too. It only takes a moment for God to work. When Jesus returns, his coming will be like a flash of a blinked eye . . . a millisecond. Will we be prepared for his return?
Nothing is more important than to be prepared for our Lord’s return. Nothing is more important than what God is calling you to do for his glory. Nothing is more important than what God is doing and inspiring in your life right now. The actions, beliefs, and opinions of others are not important enough to miss God’s best. What truly matters is immediate preparation.
Dear Father, thank you for your encouraging us to be ready at a moment’s notice. Empower us with the determination to be prepared at all times and in all places. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be courageous today in your immediate preparations,