“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)
eminiscent of a fairytale, as the clock strikes midnight this New Year‘s Eve, many will breathe a sigh of relief because the troubles of yesteryear are gone in hopes of a better New Year. This hope is built on a foundation that is sinking sand; our problems won’t just magically disappear with the dawning of a New Year. I can’t speak “peace, peace” and tickle the ear when there is no peace, nor do I believe that peace is coming.
What is God saying for 2009? Prepare. Beloved, God has a plan already established in heaven so that we will be able to bear whatever is going to come our way, however, His plan will work hand in hand with ours.
Thomas Jefferson said, “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” Jesus Christ said it this way, “BE PREPARED!” This is nothing new. Since time began we have been on a crash course to “The End of Days.” Do we really need a prophet to tell us it is coming? The timing of it is really unimportant, the bride of Messiah has but one thing to concern him/herself with…preparation.
The “End of Days” is just another day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice if we are like the five wise virgins in Matthew 25 and are prepared. Without spiritualizing about what Jesus meant, it is safe to conclude He is telling us to be ready.
Salvation is the first and most critical need that the human race has, and Jesus Christ has already addressed that need on the Cross of Calvary. The specific burden that Lord has laid on my heart is not for the unsaved, but rather for the saved.
Beloved, when our flesh gets uncomfortable we get uncomfortable. Add a family to that responsibility and even strong believers can be overcome by fear, leading them into panic and worry. Worry is like quicksand; the more difficult the circumstance is the more we tend to wrestle. The more we wrestle, the more we sink. In moments like that, we become easy prey to the deceiver and make decisions we will regret. Perhaps we might even be willing to sacrifice our moral compass for the sake of our family’s need.
Remember deception won’t be obvious; if it was, it wouldn’t be called deception. In desperate times, people will resort to desperate measures.
In the book of Revelation, Jesus is speaking to the redeemed folks in seven churches. They had already begun to lay up for themselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust could destroy, yet…He was giving them a warning so that they would not be overcome.
Last month I had an eye opener regarding the type of preparation I believe the Lord is burdening me with. On December 11th, 2008 the governor of New York declared a state of emergency. We were only one of the 240,000 homes that lost power during an ice storm.
My husband and I both grew up in New York so the winter weather is not a surprise, that being said, we were quite unprepared for the next 36 hours.
At first it was rather sweet. We built a fire in the wood stove and I smiled thinking of the 18th century pioneers while I warmed water and cooked our meals. But by the next morning I wasn’t smiling anymore. A barrage of emotions began to overtake the thankfulness that I experienced only the day before. I really wanted to complain about my situation but I had just preached a word regarding complaining the month before, so I didn’t. I felt frustrated that a weekend’s worth of holiday plans needed to be canceled. I felt depressed that all the food I purchased was going to go bad. I felt jealous that some had their power restored and we did not. I felt scared that our pipes would freeze then burst spilling water into an already difficult situation. But mostly I felt angry that we hadn’t purchased a small generator because now they were a precious commodity.
I suddenly had a clearer understanding of Revelation 13:17, “…that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast.” and knew why the Lord is so passionate about our preparation.
There is no doubt, God can and will still provide in our moment of need, but that should not be an excuse for being unprepared. We need to be ready spiritually as well as physically. Sadly there is much unnecessary suffering that we encounter due to a lack of preparation. Beloved, there will be enough to endure ahead, being unprepared physically should not add to the mix.
Our physical and emotional feelings determine our actions. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.” (John 14:1 NIV) Jesus doesn’t want our hearts to become troubled in the moments of trial. He wants our house of faith to be strong enough to endure when the enemy comes huffing and puffing. I want you to notice that it was my emotions that were overtaking me, not my physical situation. My needs were met; I had adequate warmth, food, and water, yet my emotions were beginning to play havoc on me.
If we compare the famous parable of worrying in Matthew 6:25-34 with the parable of the five wise virgins in Matthew 25, it appears there might be a contradiction. Matthew 6 clearly teaches us not to worry and to be like the birds of the air that don’t reap or gather. Yet, Matthew 25 shows us the importance of being prepared, note the 5 wise virgins brought with them vessels of oil. Unfortunately, over the years many have interpreted the Matthew 6 scripture to support an unwise carefree, que serra serra lifestyle.
The Greek word used for worry is merimnao. Because it is used five times I believe Jesus is trying to encourage us not to worry, not telling us that we shouldn’t be prepared through reaping and gathering. After all, Joseph discerned Pharaoh's dreams and was prepared for the 7 years of famine because of the preparation during the 7 years of plenty. His preparation was a type of faith in action and because of it, he and his family did not perish. (See Genesis 41- 47:27)
What the word merimnao suggests is a distraction, a preoccupation with things that causes anxiety, stress, and pressure. Worry reveals an area of our faith that needs to be strengthened further. It is not utter unbelief but rather a faith that lacks confidence and trust. Believers can worry too; it’s not sin. However, worry can cause a tailspin leading to spiritual destruction in the midst of a storm, making it much easier to be overcome by fear - the enemy of our faith. This is why Jesus doesn’t want us worrying.
The last few months have been shocking that’s for sure. Should this be the beginning of the end of days, are we prepared? Are our children prepared? Are they prepared enough to prepare the next generation? We had this scare so many times before I’m afraid that our ears have grown dull. We need to be ready spiritually, emotionally, and physically so that we will have the strength to endure.
God is asking, only asking, us to be prepared. It’s not complicated and it’s not radical; it is simply faith in action. We need to take a lesson from the 5 wise virgins who came prepared. That little vessel of oil saw them through to the arrival of the Bridegroom.
Many teach us that Jesus, our Bridegroom, will return and gather up all the believers so they will not see trouble. I certainly hope so, however, Jesus told us that we will see signs of the end of the age. There will be war, famine, pestilences, earthquakes etc. etc. These are just the beginning. He goes on to tell us that we will see the sun darkened and the moon not giving its light and then we will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds. (See Matt. 24.) So doesn’t it just make sense to be prepared?
This is the time of year when individuals typically make a resolution to change something they have wanted to do for a long time. Let us not put off until tomorrow what should be done today. Let’s use the time given to us wisely and get ready, for we know not the day or the hour of the Lord’s return. Amen.
