God is asking us to be ready. But why? For what?
At a prayer meeting that my wife and I attended last night, a church elder stood up, proclaimed God’s Word and then simply and concisely said, “Be ready.” No other words were added and those in attendance knew that a Word of God had been spoken.
“Therefore, you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matt. 24:44, italics mine).
Are we called to be ready for Jesus’ return? Or are we being asked to prepare for battle? Or is it both?
God is asking us to seek his face and gird ourselves with his protection and spiritual weaponry.
Every Man Ministry pastor Kenny Luck stated in his daily devotional:
“Are satanic forces and human beings presently cooperating to prosecute evil against God’s Son and followers? Yes. That is the unpolluted reality, my brother. Are you ready?“
It’s not about what our man-inspired solutions are to the world’s problems. On our own, we may be able to carry on for a bit, perhaps whistling in the wind, saying everything is okay, and carrying on like, “We got this.” However, we don’t. God’s got this. The sooner we ask him for help, any kind of help, or ask him for any kind of solution, the more readily we see his glory in us and through us.
The more we prepare by seeking God first, the better equipped we will be for any reality.
Are we to be ready for a reign of righteousness?
“Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,
And princes will rule with justice.
A man will be as a hiding place from the wind,
And a cover from the tempest,
As rivers of water in a dry place,
As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
The eyes of those who see will not be dim,
And the ears of those who hear will listen.
Also the heart of the rash will understand knowledge,
And the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly.
“The foolish person will no longer be called generous,
Nor the miser said to be bountiful;
For the foolish person will speak foolishness,
And his heart will work iniquity:
To practice ungodliness,
To utter error against the Lord,
To keep the hungry unsatisfied,
And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
Also the schemes of the schemer are evil;
He devises wicked plans
To destroy the poor with lying words,
Even when the needy speaks justice.
But a generous man devises generous things,
And by generosity he shall stand.” (Isaiah 32:1–8)
Kenny Luck concludes in his devotional:
“As a soldier of heaven, you know Satan’s tactic is to wear down your resolve little by little. You know how he tries to make people too busy for quality relationships with God and others. You know your faith is a cosmic crusade with Christ leading the charge, his eyes fixed, his blade drawn. The Rider, calling to his men, ‘Swords to the ready!’”
The sword that we must be ready to wield is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Eph. 6:17).
Followers of Jesus are commissioned on this day as in every day to fight evil with truth. We do this with the help of the Holy Spirit and the gospel.
Today, Lord, help us be ready to join God in his desire that everyone dwell in his kingdom. You call us to be ready. Our next move and the to-do list are found in the Bible and confirmed in relationship with Jesus Christ. Let us pray together in unity that we be a witness and a fulfillment of God’s plan. Amen.
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This article originally appeared on Thinke.org and is reposted here by permission.