Ready and Waiting


"Be dressed for service and well prepared, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. There will be special favor for those who are ready and waiting for his return. I tell you, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, there will be special favor for his servants who are ready." Luke 12:35-38

I remember very vividly as a kid racing to the lakefront with my dad early in the morning to catch a ride in a boat with some guys who had invited us to go fishing with them. We got up, scrambled around to get our fishing tackle together and raced down to the lake as we were cutting it pretty close. As we hurried down the path popping out near the shoreline, we could see the boat halfway across the lake motoring to THE secret fishing hole. Ugh! 

Luke records Jesus teaching the disciples about readiness too. Fishing and boats were a part of their lives for sure, but it wasn't missing the boat that Jesus was talking about. He was talking about his return. On another occasion, he told them that only the Father knew the day. Instead, he directed their conversation not towards calculations but rather towards preparations. Live faithfully. Live obediently. Live expectantly. Ready and waiting. 

Talking about his return is critically important. Why? It's the first step in the process of being ready for it. When the trumpet sounds, the angel shouts and skies split open revealing the glorified Savior, will we shout in triumph or groan in regret? He's on his way. His return is imminent. Have we made all our preparations yet? Will he find us faithfully serving or seriously distracted? The trumpet is warming up. The angel is clearing his throat. Ready?

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