Are You Ready?
by Margaret Davies
On reading some of the scriptures on the return of the Lord, I was challenged afresh with the realisation of what Jesus said about being ready for His return. My question is “Am I ready for His return?”
This was reiterated to me these past few weeks as I heard a sermon in Ireland recenlty, and another at our own church, about the coming of the Lord, a topic I haven't heard preached about very often.
At this time of the year, as we’ve been remembering Jesus’ first coming, are we also getting prepared and ready for His second coming, which could happen at any time. We know that one day He will return, but nobody knows the exact timing of His return. Yet His people, the ones who know and love the Lord, must be prepared, watching, and waiting for Him.
In Matthew 25:13 it says ‘Watch therefore for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming’. And we’re commanded several times in Scripture to watch for Him, to be on guard, to stay alert, and to pray. How can we prepare ourselves for His coming? Do we know the Lord and have a personal relationship with Him? Are our names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? We also need to spend time in prayer, read His Word, and depend on the Holy Spirit for His guidance in every aspect of our lives. If you don't know the Holy Spirit’s power in your life, ask Him to reveal Himself to you. We need to be seeking to do the things that God has commanded us to do and be watching the signs of the times.
In referring to the end times Jesus said, in Matthew 24:32-33, ‘Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door’.
In Scripture the fig tree is symbolic, most especially, of Israel. So the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, and the growth of the Body of Christ in the land are what Jesus was talking about in this parable. So we know that this is a sign that His return could be at hand.
Also let’s learn from the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25 and be like the five wise virgins. They were expecting His return at any time, and weren’t like the five foolish ones. They weren’t ready for His return, and they missed the invitation to the wedding feast. So let’s seek to live expecting His return at any time, being on guard, being sober and alert, obeying Him and His word.
Revelation 22:20 says ‘He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon” Amen! Come Lord Jesus!’ One thing we know for sure is that Jesus is coming back again, and we need to be ready for this day.
Prayer: Father, help us to be ready for the impending return of Jesus. Only You know the time and the hour. Keep our hearts open and close to You, and hearing Your voice. May we be obedient to Your word, and the promptings of Your Holy Spirit. Keep us from being fearful. Keep us looking forward to that great and wonderful day, when we’ll dwell with You. Amen.
Margaret Davies is married to Trevor whom she met and married in Israel where she worked in various ministries for almost 10 years. They joined Ellel Ministries in Scotland in 2002 where they served for almost 13 years, and have just recently left the full time team at Blairmore House. They are presently living in a small village in North Essex, and Margaret enjoys baking, gardening and walking.
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