"Prepare to Meet Thy God"

Preparation is one of the basic steps to success in life. My Grandpa Tatum once told me about the "5 P's" and since that time I have never forgotten them. He said, "Prior preparation prevents poor performance." This is very true. The more time we spend in preparation for an upcoming event, the better off we are. It may be a speech or a presentation. It may be a job or an interview. It could even be something like Thanksgiving dinner (see mom for details). No matter what it might be, aren't we always happier with the results when we've prepared?

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is our hope and our joy. He is also our perfect example. It is not a strange coincidence that we never find Him in Scripture as being unprepared for anything. When Satan came to tempt Him, He had fasted (Matt. 4:2). When the Pharisees and Sadducees attacked His teachings, He proved His knowledge of Scripture and its true interpretation (Matt. 22:29). When Peter denied Him and Judas betrayed Him, He knew it was coming (Matt. 26:21,34). When He was finally crucified at Golgotha, He had completed His work and had prayed for the strength to bear it (Luke 22:42; John 17:1-5).

Have you ever realized you and I spend the majority of our lives getting ready for things? We spend at least 13 years in school and those who attend college spend up to 30. We train for our vocation. We get ready for holidays, birthdays, dinners, appointments, lectures, jobs, vacations, weddings, parties, etc. We even get ready to stop having to get ready (retirement) - well … at least it's a good theory! We recognize the basic need for preparation in everything we do, but why do we fail to see the need to prepare to meet our God!!!

God's essential message to us is filled with the commandment that says, "Get ready!" He wanted Noah to build an Ark (Gen. 6:13ff). He wanted the Israelites to be ready to conquer Canaan (Joshua 1:2ff). He wanted the prophets to warn Jews and Gentiles about the consequences of sin (Jon. 1:2). He wanted John the Baptist to prepare the world for Christ (Is. 40:3; John 1:23). He wanted Jesus to prepare the world for the last day - something that Jesus taught while living (Matt. 22:14), and accomplished by dying (1 Pet. 2:24).

Right now please understand that God has nothing more important for you to accomplish than to be prepared. On the average He has given us about 70 years to do this (Psalm 90:10). Wouldn't you say this is ample time?

Are you prepared to meet God? Perhaps you are not because you've never been baptized. Perhaps you are not because you've stopped assembling with the saints. Perhaps you are not because you've failed to live up to your promise to live faithfully when you became a Christian. Perhaps you are not for a reason only you and God know.

Whatever the reason might be, the best thing you can do for yourself is change your situation from unprepared to prepared. You can bring glory to God and the Savior, hope to your family, and joy to your life. God in His church will help you, forgive you, accept you, befriend you, share with you, and love you. Only one question remains - Are you prepared to meet God?

"Careless soul, why will you linger, wand'ring from the fold of God?

Hear you not the invitation? O prepare to meet thy God."

Careless soul, O heed the warning,

For your life will soon be gone;

O how sad to face the judgment,

Unprepared to meet thy God." (John Henry Stanley)