Be Prepared
What does it really mean to be prepared? Good Question. Actually, today I went on a 7 mile hike with my parents, brother, and husband. It was a beautiful day, 65 degrees and cloudy, beautiful canopy and trails. Josiah and I had gone to Walmart last night to get things for our family outing. We got 2 liter water backpacks, things to make trail mix, and for me hiking boots (as though tennis shoes were not enough). After we left Walmart, I felt like we were over prepared for a simple 2 hour hike. When you think you are prepared, do your research and think again. Although we felt prepared, we, well I, was not.
Those new hiking shoes though great for what we were doing and could fit my feet, need to be broken in more gradually. Also, considering I didn’t do my research you are meant to get hiking shoes that are about a half size too big for movement and swelling of feet as you move. Needless to say, I am in some pain as I write this. Lesson learned: Be prepared.
For Anything
Now hiking is not the only thing I had to be prepared for this week. Due to the weather, on Thursday at 12 we were asked to leave work. Teaching virtually has it’s perks. We just had to load up our cars and go home, nothing to it right. However, as we all know when something just suddenly happens, your mind has to adjust to the new situation. It wasn’t difficult but was unexpected to have to teach from home as though I was in the classroom. I had my mini-white board, had to take pictures and upload to teach measurement, and explained to students that we were live from my house. My change in situation was minor but of course not all are, so be prepared for anything. That’s the Awesomeness of God. He provides what we need to be prepared, we just have to be wise and knowledgeable about how to use what we are given. Take Noah for example:
14 “’Build a large boat[a] from cypress wood[b] and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. 15 Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.[c] 16 Leave an 18-inch opening[d] below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower, middle, and upper.
17 “Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. 18 But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 19 Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. 20 Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive. 21 And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.”
22 So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him” Genesis 6:14-22
Can you imagine that sudden change!? First off at this point in the world, it had never rained. All of Noah’s neighbors probably was like, what in the world are your building and that he was crazy. But Noah did everything he was told. God will ask you to do things unexpectedly but won’t just leave you there. He provided everything for Noah, including land to take his boat after the flood.
Another example comes from the New testament, along with many others. The sudden switch in situation for Philip can be easily seen that you have to be prepared for anything. A little back story, Philip was a disciple who had a thriving ministry preaching the gospel, healing people, and baptized them.
26 “As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south[a] down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”
30 Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.
32 The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter.
And as a lamb is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
33 He was humiliated and received no justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”[b]
34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” 35 So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.
36 As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?”[c] 38 He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.” Acts 8:26-40
Would you leave your job when you are thriving and everything is working out to go into an unknown place where there was nothing? Now God called Philip to leave his thriving ministry, minister to an important stranger, then be transported to another location all unexpectedly. Talk about relying on the Lord to be prepared. That brings me to my next point.
The time is coming
No one knows when the Lord will return to bring us home, but as believers we wait expectantly. But are we prepared? For some, they may not know the name of the Lord and the relationship that comes with accepting that He is God and gives forgiveness of sins by dying on the cross, to be risen from the dead.
The whole point of this post is to ask you to think about if you are prepared for God to come back.
40 “You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” Luke 12:40
What do I mean when I say “be prepared’? I am not talking about the physical preparation but the spiritual one. Do you know God personally? Do you know where you are going when the glorious day comes? I don’t ask to scare or judge you but in a loving way because I want to see y’all there and that you will get to experience true joy in the full presence of God. For those who believe and are prepared have a sure hope:
13 “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died[a] so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.[b] 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died[c] will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
In the words of our Hope, the Lord and the provider of all things, let us be prepared in our world today and in our hearts. I sincerely ask that you consider this and think on this. If you know you are prepared, think about those in your life who may not be prepared for the Lord’s return. Remember to think about your own heart and don’t let pride make you think you are prepared (like me in hiking boots) when you are not.
Have your Checklist
We may not think that God will return in our lifetime, however it clearly says we do not know when that will be regardless of what we assume or think. We need to be prepared for the next sentence might be the last you read. Again, I don’t say this to scare you, but to be fully honest. You just never know, but won’t it be joyous when He does and you can have no worries and just fall in his arms.
- What have you been considering as you read this post?
- Are you prepared in your heart for Jesus?
- Can you think of others that may need help getting prepared for His return?
- Are you anticipating His return or doubting it?
- Let’s pray for our nation and its people as they physically prepare for jobs, health, and day to day lives, that we will also prepare our hearts for Jesus’ return.
I thank you for reading and hope I didn’t scare you off. I know reading this you can’t hear my sincerity or my love for y’all, please know I do. I hope you feel welcome and not judged with these words. If you have questions, always feel free to contact me!
–LOVE, Amber