Tuesday, December 14, 2004

Are you ready?

"So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an
hour when you do not expect Him." Matthew 24:44

A teacher told his class that he would be going away for several
weeks, and he offered to give a prize to the student whose desk he
found in the best order when he came back. But he didn't tell them
what day he would return.

Because the prize was big, each child was determined to get it,
including a little girl whose desk was normally quite messy. Her
classmates jeered, "Mary, you'll never win. Your desk is never neat."
"Oh, I plan to clean it the first of every week from now on."
"But," someone said, "suppose he comes at the end of the week?"
"Then I'll clean it every morning."
"But," another classmate persisted, "He may come at the end of
the day." For a moment the child was silent in thought. Then she said
decidedly, "I know what I'll do, I'll just keep it clean all the
time!"

If we want to receive our Lord's approval at His return, we must
always be ready. Jesus did not tell us to "get ready", but rather
to "be ready"(Mt.24:44). We are to live constantly in a state of
spiritual preparedness, anticipating the moment when He will appear
and ask us to give an account of our stewardship.

Are you ready for His return?

****************************************************
"But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what
hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be
broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will
come at an hour when you do not expect Him." Luke 12:39-40