Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 121, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:37-44
“So, you also must be ready, because the son of man will come at an hour when you do not expect” .
Matthew 24:44
Preparation is very important in every sphere of human endeavour and when we prepare very well the possibility of achieving results is very high. Everybody given a particular task expects to get the job done and done well so preparation will certainly be on the shopping list. Carole Spiers, a British entrepreneur who is known for her extensive work in the area of stress management says,
“adequate preparation is not always fun and many of us do not look forward to doing it. It can often appear to be boring and uninteresting… However, it can prove to be one of the most valuable skills that you can master in avoiding the build-up of stress and anxiety as deadline dates approach”.
Carole Spiers
In Advent we prepare for the coming of our saviour Jesus Christ, it must be seen as a new beginning, it is a period of reflection, penance and living a life worthy and acceptable in the sight of God. We prepare for the coming of the saviour and His presence will make all things new. He is coming to save us, heal and deliver so we must be happy for his coming. This is therefore the time to take a second look at our preparation for His coming, by doing a thorough reflection on the kind of life we have been living.
“The night is nearly over; the day is almost here, so let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light.”
Romans 13:12
Things of the light are always open for all to see, while things of the dark are always hidden. Let us think about the things we do in secret and ask ourselves whether these things are good to be proud of and if it can be brought into the open? These things of the dark can also be hidden in our hearts i.e., hatred, unforgiveness, jealousy, backbiting, pride, arrogance etc. Romans 13: 13 tells us
Let us behave decently as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
Romans 13: 13
These are things that we really must do away with because it pushes us away from God and by eschewing these acts means we are preparing adequately for the coming of our saviour.
In preparing for the coming of the Lord we must be watchful and never allow unimportance things to take our time. Being watchful is being prayerful and staying close to the direction and promptings of the Holy Spirit so that the deceiver cannot penetrate.
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation…” .
Matthew 26:41a
Beloved, we are in difficult times, a time where Christians are shy to profess their faith to the world, where the systems are manipulated to make it difficult for us nevertheless, we must
“… wake up from our slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed” .
Romans 13:11
The epistle tells us that it is important to clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and do away with any lifestyle that is jeered towards the gratification of the flesh.
During these preparations we must position ourselves very well to attract others to come to the Lord and experience Him. We are in the last days and the glory of God is going to be revealed for all flesh to see. It will take all of us to make this known to the world because He is coming to make all things new and establish the nations in His name therefore
“… Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore”.
Isaiah 2:4
All the chaos will cease for order to prevail, and all the cacophony and discord will change to harmony and agreement. Proper preparations will bring us together so that we can walk in the light of the Lord, where nothing will be hidden but rather be made plain.
We must prepare for the coming of our saviour Jesus Christ, wake up from our sleep, move from darkness to light, stay away from acts that does not give glory to God, Make His works known to the world, clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and listen to His voice and promptings. Jesus is coming to make all things right and establish order and concord.