Prepared!
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 12:35-36
Many of us have experienced that moment of embarrassment which occurs when a visitor arrives at our home unannounced and we are unprepared for company. If we had known company was coming, we would have picked up those magazines lying on the floor. We would have rinsed that ice cream bowl rather than leaving it sitting on the table. If our company notices these out-of-place items, they will likely be polite and say something like, “You don’t need to pick up for us. If you came to our house, it would look a lot worse!” Even if such statements were true, they give us no consolation at that moment. When we invite someone to visit our home, we clean in advance, putting everything in its proper place, and sometimes we even rearrange the whole living room! We prepare! And we would like our guests to think we always live in that manner.
Being prepared for the Lord’s return is of utmost importance. One Sunday afternoon, in a young people’s service, the message preached was on the Lord’s return. That evening, the sermon was on the same topic. I remember praying, “Lord, is there anything I need to do or take care of so I do not miss making it to Heaven?” The Lord revealed to my heart that there were two restitutions He wanted me to take care of. That same evening, I had a dream that also quickened my heart: I approached the gates of Heaven and recognized someone on the inside of the gates. They looked out at me and said, “What are you doing here? You are not ready yet!” Needless to say, I quickly took care of the two restitutions.
Some time later, a sermon was again preached on the Lord’s return. This time my heart was clear before the Lord. That night, I awoke with a start from a sound sleep and I heard beautiful music. I remember having a burst of joy well up in my heart. “The Lord is here!” I thought. Then I realized the music was coming from a neighbor’s home near by. The Scripture in Luke 12:38 came to mind, “And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.” Indeed, it felt good to know that I was ready, even though the Lord had not come.
When Jesus returns, we do not want to be embarrassed because we were not prepared. We want to be excited because we are ready to go with Him! May He help each of us to take care of any unfinished preparations and to be ready when He comes.
