Ready!

Ready!

Luke 12:40 AMP

[40] You too, be continually ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”

The message in the verse above is clearly for a particular set of people. The verse proceeds from the position that its hearers have made a decision to submit to and follow Jesus, and they know what is ahead. The verse does not promote or permit ignorance; as it has been made clear from some of the previous devotions, the disciple is not one who is careless or ignorant about the expectations or demands of his master and leader. The disciple is someone who has weighed the cost of the decision to leave all and followed Jesus, and he stays ready for His return and reward. As a disciple, I cannot pick and choose the parts of the instructions that suit me or make me comfortable; I am under His complete authority, and I am subject to ALL His instructions. I cannot lay claim to His benefits and then seek to reject His directives. 

The verse above is one of His instructions. It tells me what is ahead, and what is expected of me. Jesus does not leave me ignorant or unaware of what is ahead, but He makes clear what I need to do to align with His instructions and expectations. He wants to be ready at all times, which means that my daily life must be directed in the consciousness that it can end at any time. Jesus has always made it clear that He will return to take home all who have waited for Him. There are some who have already died physically, and who have already met with Jesus, and there are so many others still alive, reading this, and getting ready for their own appointment with Jesus. No one knows the day or the hour when Jesus will return; in fact, Jesus Himself said that only His Father knows the day. No human permutations can decipher that day. No earthly scheme can help push that day closer. 

As you read the verses just before the one above, you see this earthly reference: "if the head of the house had known at what time the thief was coming, he [would have been awake and alert, and] would not have allowed his house to be broken into". In normal circumstances, no thief tells you when he is coming, so he has the element of surprise as his advantage. When you know the value of what you hold and have, you do all you can to preserve and protect it. You ensure that at all times, you know where your treasure is. In the same way, when you know the eternal value of what you have and hold, you will not allow anything of this world take it from you. It is not the occasional check up; it is constant vigilance. It is not a weekly appointment; it is a continuous evaluation of where you are, and what you need to put in place in order to end well. There is nothing this earth can give you that will be adequate compensation for missing out on eternity. Make sure you are ready. God's time of favour is here.