Are You Ready to Meet Your God?
“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matt. 24:44).
Are we ready for our Lord’s return? This may seem like a silly question as of course, we all are, aren’t we? I ask this question only because we live in a world that lives very far away from the Lord and it is constantly influencing us. God, though, does not want us to live in this worldly system but to live holy and to be holy. We cannot follow the worldly system and follow God at the same time. It seems to me that the only way we can do this is to have a change of heart. If we do not change our hearts we flounder trying to live in two worlds. We cannot serve two masters and have peace in our heart. “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”(Matt. 6:23-25). This is a decision we all have to make. The time is short and our nations are lost in their sin. Choose wisely.
World events are bringing us closer and closer to destruction and if it were not for the Lord’s return to save His people we would be destroyed. The world, including the earth itself, is in great distress. The Word of God is being fulfilled before our very eyes and only those who have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Saviour and believe Him with all their hearts will be saved.
It is tough today when we see how the wicked seem to prosper but their time is short and their reward is now whereas those who believe with all their hearts and trust in the Lord have their reward for eternity. King David said “Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.” (Psa. 73:21-28). David in verse 17 had gone into the sanctuary of God and then understood the destiny of the wicked. He realized his part was not to ponder on the wicked but to put his heart and soul and mind on God and all that He was doing. This is where his strength came from. He had a change of heart.
Are we ready? Have we had a change of heart? Do we really love the Lord with all our heart and soul and mind? “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” (Matt. 22:36-38). When we truly love the Lord we have faith and hope, and because we then trust Him we willingly follow His commandments. Do we really have a relationship with Christ where we have changed our heart or do we just think we have a relationship but behave the same way we have always done?
Have we humbled ourselves before God or do we still want to be in control? These are things I believe we must think about now as we approach the time of the Lord’s return.
The Lord is our righteousness. He died for us that we might be saved if we would only accept His sacrifice. In the Old Testament sacrifices of righteousness had to be made, “They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.” (Deut. 33:18-20). He became our sacrifice of righteousness. He has given us life through His resurrection. This is a gift that we would be wise to accept.
Our Israel nations are dead. Our people are physically alive and thinking and doing but our hearts are dead (hardened). We think we can still solve our problems, we don’t know that we are sick and weak and desperately in need of a Saviour. “And you hath he quickened [made alive] who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:…But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,” (Eph. 2:1-2,4-5). Will we be ready when Christ returns to judge the earth? Which side will we be on, those who love Christ and look forward to His return or those who want nothing to do with Him. Prepare to meet thy God. “…yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel…The Lord, The God of hosts, is his name.”(Amos 4:11-13).
Let us be ready! “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” (Rev. 19:6-8)
