A Pause to Ponder God's Word
"Be Prepared"

 We had to leave before sunrise to get to the church on time. The college choir packed into four vans, I climbed into the driver's seat of one, and off we went. As the sun began to rise on the mostly cloudy morning its rays came streaming through a small opening. It looked like a doorway, filled with light.  The sunbeams were filled with an array of soft rainbow colors that fanned out as they made their way to the earth.  A couple of the choir members were still awake and they joined me in looking at the beautiful sight. After a few moments someone commented about the scene noting, "I always think about Jesus' second coming when I see a sky like this. I believe the sky will be just like this when He comes."

What a glorious promise believers have. Our risen Lord Jesus will one day return and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. Scripture entreats us to encourage each other with this magnificent truth. Yet, we seem to vacillate between ignoring it, to living with hope-filled anticipation, to obsession about the details.  Recently even non-believers have taken note as fictional novels about what will take place when Jesus returns rose to the bestseller list and were made into a movie. Predictions have been made, charts plotting the details designed, expectations proclaimed, and sermons crafting the encouraging promise into  "scare-them-into-heaven" masterpieces. What should be our response to the fact that Jesus will return?

The early New Testament Church faced this same question. They were enduring tremendous persecution and Jesus seemed slow in keeping His promise to return. Scoffers scoffed and ridiculed those who held on to the promise. Christians were becoming discouraged. When the word reached the Apostle Peter he wrote them an encouraging letter. He directed them,
"But do not forget this one thing dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promises, as some consider slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief." (1 Peter 3:8-10a) Indeed He will come when we least expect it. So what therefore should be our response? We are given three appropriate responses for God's people given in the verses that follow.

Since the Lord will return we must live holy and godly lives. (1 Peter 3:11d) We should make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with Him. (1 Peter 3:14) We must be on our guard so that we will not be carried away by error of lawless men and fall from our secure positions. (1 Peter 3:17) Or to put these three imperatives into a single phrase, be prepared! We do not need to figure out when He will come. As interesting as it is to speculate on what it will be like after He comes to catch His bride away, we do not need to know. What we need to do is be prepared for His coming. Being prepared means remembering that He will come and allowing our hope-filled expectation to be one motivator in our living holy lives. We need to be a people marked by our intense effort to live as Jesus lived, guarding our faith so that
we are not lead astray. To be a people true to God and His Word hungering to grow in grace and knowledge of Him. Being a holy people is being prepared people.

Beloved let us be such a people. Then with hope-filled anticipation we live prepared for His return.

Keep Close To Jesus
Pastor Gerry


A Pause To Ponder God's Word is written and distributed by Gerald Whetstone, Ordained Elder and teacher in the Church of the Nazarene. These devotionals may be transmitted, duplicated, used in part or in entirety without permission for nonprofit purposes only. Responses welcome. To Subscribe Click Here.
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