December 15, 2015

“If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping” (Mark 13:36; NIV).

            You have to prepare for the holiday; not to do so is inviting disaster. Company is coming and if your present aren’t bought and your food is not prepared, you’re going to look silly.

            You have to prepare for a baby, too. Cribs, clothes, babyproofing—no wonder expectant mothers are often said to be “nesting.” Thank God there’s nine months warning so that all is ready!

            But, as I said yesterday, the kind of preparation that we do in this season is of a different sort. We prepare to receive our king. Today’s Bible verse comes from a longer exhortation of Jesus, in which He is talking about how suddenly He will return at the End. There will be no warning, no season set aside for preparation; we will not know if He comes at midnight, in the morning, or at noon. So, alertness is called for. Tending our own spiritual life is called for Constant dedication to God and His Word and His promises is called for—lest our attention flag, our faith wane, and we “fall asleep.”  That would be a disaster, a disaster of everlasting consequences.

            So, prepare: keep alert, pay attention, tend the fires. The Day may seem long in coming, but it will come and we will do well to be prepared.