“You Say You’re Ready, But Are You Prepared?”

​Daily Devotional – Monday, November 22, 2021

"Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!” (Revelation 16:15, NLT)

I must confess, my lack of mental readiness for the arrival of winter has left me unprepared. Yes, we got the snow tires put on, have signed up to volunteer with the Christmas Kettle and I have even contemplated pulling out the Christmas decorations this weekend, yet I am not ready for the snow. It can be quite beautiful and even fun, but the coming cold, extra caution required in driving and the need to don the assorted winter-attire is not something I am looking forward to. Every year it’s the same thing…no surprises there…but this year I am just not ‘ready.’ My lack of readiness showed up this morning as I left the house, without a coat, gloves or boots…the sky was clear and the temperature was only at the freezing mark, so no need to be concerned about heavy outerwear. Or so I thought.

Five minutes into my drive to work, the snow started to fall and within an hour the ground is now fully blanketed with about an inch of the white stuff. I could claim I didn’t know, but that wouldn’t be truthful. I had read the forecast this morning calling for an accumulation of 15-20cm of snow by tomorrow morning…I just didn’t count on it starting right away. My self-imposed lack of preparation reminds me of other times when we refuse to get ready for something we know is coming and fail to properly prepare.

There is much talk these days in Christian circles about being ready for Jesus to return. We look around at the world around us and we want an escape. Jesus has promised to come back and there’s no doubt that He will. But are we as mentally ready for Him as we say? Check your preparation! If you heard the trumpet sound today, what activity might it interrupt? What regrets might you immediately experience? What undone business or secrets might cause a moment of panic or anxiety? Might the sound even leave you perplexed? “Now? Not now! I need more time…I’m not ready or prepared.” We’ve had over 2,000 years of warning, so we’ve got no excuse. Are there things that you should be taking care of to fully prepare for Jesus’ return. Stop stalling, or you may find yourself taken by surprise. I know…

Pastor Jane