Waiting...but ready!

Have you ever had to wait for someone to show up? UPS guy, furnace repair guy, cable guy, Schwann’s guy. You know they’re coming sometime on Monday between 10 and 6 (remember back in the day when we weren’t all staying at home anyway!), so you just have to wait around the house all day until they show up.

And you know that if you leave for just 5 minutes to go run an errand, that’s when they’ll come and you’ll miss them and have to reschedule the whole thing for another day. You almost hate to even go to the bathroom because as soon as you sit down you’re sure to hear a knock at the door! Hopefully, at least, you can wash some dishes or do that easy repair job you’ve been putting off so long.

Waiting is a hard job, but when the knock comes you want to be ready.

It feels like we’re in a season of waiting through this pandemic. We don’t know the impact this virus is going to have on our health, our finances, our relationships, our emotional state, nor do we know how long it’s going to last. Some are already feeling the pain and the strain of it all. Maybe you’re afraid or anxious for what may come – and there is certainly a right level of concern to take care of ourselves and others.

But let me urge you not to waste your waiting in panic or fear. Instead, now is the time to look to Christ Jesus as Savior. Now is the time to call upon His name for help. Now is the time to get your spiritual house in order so that when He shows up you’re ready.

The Bible tells us that Jesus will come again, and it’s the faithful and wise servant taking care of the Master’s work who will be ready for His arrival.

Let me ask you this: Are you ready for that day? Is your house in order? Are you trusting in Christ for salvation? Are you obeying His will?

Listen, we don’t get a second chance at this. Whether the coronavirus takes you or you get hit by a bus or swept away by a tornado or whether Christ Himself returns today, are you ready to meet the Lord? Tomorrow may be too late.

Why not confess to Him now in a prayer of repentance and faith, “Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned against You, and I am truly sorry. I believe that You died on the cross to forgive my sins, and so I confess my sin to You and ask You to cleanse me from all my sin and guilt and shame. And I believe You rose from the dead on the third day, and I trust in You now for new life, abundant and eternal. Come and take control of this heart and make me live to honor You as Savior and Lord. Amen!”

If that’s your prayer, I’d love to talk with you more. Call me at the First Baptist Church number, 217-632-2488.