February 11, 2012

I started writing one thing today only to change it.  Have you ever had something happen that made you literally pause?  Today, I took my son for his ACT preliminary test and guess what, no calculator.  It was in his bag that he left at school.  I am sure you can guess how the car ride to the school went, especially since we approached the front doors at 7:57, three minutes before the test starts.  Oh what a proud moment for me as I pulled up to the school and he had no calculator and was emphatic that he wasn't going to take the test.  It made me realize that being prepared isn't something we should just preach but it's how we should live.  For a moment, after he left the car, and my blood pressure had time to come down, I realized that so often we just aren't prepared.  And of course, the question arises, am I preparing my children for what's to come?  I am sure that Jesus asked Himself the same question.  Are my disciples prepared for the hardships they will face?  Better yet, will they understand why I have come to save the Gentiles too?

Needing a calculator for the ACT is a far cry from being prepared to save the masses but if you examine the analogy, you will see that like my son, many of us are not prepared.  Either we think we are invincible or we believe we have many more years.  No one knows the day or hour Christ will call us back, so if we aren't preparing for that day, what are we doing with our time?  He says, he will come again.  Are we taking the time necessary to be fully prepared for what's to come?

The Old Testament promised that Christ would come to save the Gentiles.  It was prophesied in Amos and then quoted in Acts.

Acts 14: 27 NKJV:

    Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

Acts 15:  16-17 NKJV:

    'After this I will return
    And will rebuild the tabernacle of
    David, which has fallen down;
    I will rebuild its ruins,
    And I will set it up;
    So that the rest of mankind may
    seek the LORD,
    Even all the Gentiles who are
    called by My name,
    Says the LORD who does all these things.'

1 Corinthians 2: 9 NLT:

     "No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
       and no mind has imagined
       what God has prepared
       for those who love him."

It's time we quit looking at our time and how busy we are and help ourselves and the future generations prepare for our future with Christ.  Time is running out.  Whether it's tomorrow or hundreds of years from now, let's take up the cross and prepare to be with our maker.

My prayer today:

Only You LORD know the hour of our last breath.  We have no idea what the future holds but we want to be prepared and we want to prepare future generations.  Please give us the time to sit down and be with You, even if it's just for a little while.  Give us a heart to pursue You and worship You in all  things.  Help us not to lose site of the only goal that matters and protect us as we win the lost.  Open the doors for us Jesus, so that we may help You.  AMEN

Until tomorrow...