Living Ready to Go

Scripture:

"For this reason you also must be ready; for the son of man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will." Matthew 24: 44

Observation:

This is a stern warning. Be ready. In the verses previous, Jesus compares and contrasts a few things. He talks through the fact that there will be signs. He won't just show up unannounced. There will be evidence that He is coming. The exact time will not be foretold, but the indications of its nearness will be given. He spoke of the times of Noah. People ignored all warnings and went about living their lives as they saw fit. They were given every opportunity in the world to repent but chose not too. Life was good for them right up until the time that Noah closed the doors of the ark.

Application:

What does it mean to be ready? This questions is laboring on me this morning. The weight of it is draped over my shoulders and causes my steps to be labored and my even my feet to feel heavy. The day will come when my time will either expire or Christ will return. I know with all certainty that those two events will occur. The doors that lead to more chances for me to prepare myself for the next life will close. All the preparations will cease. Second chances will vanish. Everything will be set. As I enter that day in my imagination, I am trying to picture the scene. Am I ready? Do I feel elated? Does joy sweep over my body and cause me to celebrate to coming of the next life and a return to my King? Or am I unprepared? Is the room in which I stand a wreck? Do I feel burdened? Am I overwhelmed with a sense of being caught off guard like one who has forgotten an assignment?

What does the life of one prepared look like? What are the elements that should be there? I need to live each day in preparation for the time that Christ will return. That is the message of this passage but I am nonetheless a little confused about exactly what that lifestyle resembles.

Prayer:

I don’t really know what to pray to You tonight. I feel unprepared. Like there is unfinished business for me here on earth. I am not sure what to do. Help me. You are my only hope. I want to follow You on a walk that leads to confidence. Confidence that I am on the right path.

In my role as a husband, I pray that You guide me to be the man that I need to be to Brandy. Let me move past my own selfish ambitions and truly learn to give to her the same unconditional love that You have given to me. Move upon her heart to forgive my failures. Draw us close to You and remove from our lives anything that would prevent us from living the marriage that You have for us. Let us be there for each other. Guide us as we try to center our lives around You.

In my role as a father to my kids, I pray that I reflect something that draws them close to You. I ask that my life be lived with them in a manner that You can use me in the formation of their lives. I pray for their salvation. Speak to them and allow them to understand the drawing of Your Spirit. I live with a fear that I am not doing all that I need to do with them. Teach me to sharpen the gifts that You have given them. Instruct me in how I should guide them in life. Help me to relax and just trust that they are in Your hands; not mine.

In my role as a servant to my church, I pray for wisdom. Everything that I do has an eternal affect on someone's life. I pray that I make sound decisions that are in alignment with Your will. Just as You were with Joseph and caused his labor to prosper, I pray that You be with me. Help me to do all that you have called me to be. Protect me from those who would seek to harm me. From lose You hope to see me fail. Defend You name and call on my life.

In role as a follower of Christ, I pray to You breath life into my pursuit of You. Holy Spirit, I pray that You move upon my life with great power. I want to hear Your voice, know Your ways, and walk by them. Give me an acute awareness of Your presence around me. Help me to be a son who honors his parents and a brother who is a dependable source of strength to his siblings. I pray that I not lose one single person that you send to me. Teach me to be a disciple and to disciple others as I pursue You.

My trust and faith is not in my works, it is in the goodness of Your name. I am grateful that Your word says that you are faithful to complete everything that you have started in me. May nothing prevent me from living a life that is ready to go home to be with You.