Pregnant, Due, and Still Waiting

Today my expecting wife reached 40 weeks and 2 days.  Even though she is only 2 days past the due date, we have been expecting our baby boy to come for weeks now.  The medical professionals said that Julie would likely go into labor weeks before her actual due date.  So, for about 3-4 weeks, we have been expecting our boy to come “any day now.”  But, obviously here we are, still waiting.  Since all of this has been at the forefront of my mind, it has been difficult to concentrate on much else, hence this article.

With our little boy due to make his arrival at any moment, it has been essential that we are completely prepared.  We have bags packed and sitting by the door.  We have his room all set up.  We have the car seats installed.  We have cleared our calendar.  We have generous people ready to drop everything at a moments notice to come help with our daughter.  This weekend I even had to cancel a commitment that would have taken me an hour outside of town.  While we don’t know when our baby boy will come, we know for sure that eventually he will come.

It is amazing how similar this is to Christ.  We know for sure that Christ is coming (Matthew 24:36, 42-44; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3).  Are our spiritual bags packed?  Are we completely prepared to meet with the Lord?  We have been given plenty of time to prepare so there is no excuse not to be ready.  On that day we will hear one of two answers.  If we are prepared, we will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23).  If we are not ready, we will hear, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23).

We know Jesus is coming.  It could be today or tomorrow.  This leaves one last question, “Are you ready?”

Sleeping Through the Storm

“A young man applied for a job as a farmhand. When the farmer asked for his qualifications, he said, ‘I can sleep when the wind blows.’  This puzzled the farmer, but he liked the young man and hired him.  A few days later, the farmer and his wife were awakened in the night by a violent storm.  They quickly began to check around and see if all was secure.  They found that the shutters of the farmhouse had been securely fastened. A good supply of logs had been set next to the fireplace.  The young man slept soundly.  The farmer and his wife then inspected their property.  They found that the farm tools had been placed in the storage shed, safe from the elements.  The tractor had been moved into the garage.  The barn was properly locked.  Even the animals were calm.  All was well.  The farmer then understood the meaning of the young man's words, ‘I can sleep when the wind blows.’  Because the farmhand did his work loyally and faithfully when the skies were clear, he was prepared for the storm when it broke.  So when the wind blew, he was not afraid.  He could sleep in peace” (Tim Shin Illustrations).

The moral of this illustration is simply, be prepared.  Anyone can put forth the effort when it is necessary, but by then it might be too late.  This idea has so many applications for today.  We must work hard so we can feed the family, keep up with bills, and live with less stress.  We must save money for emergencies.  We must prepare for retirement.  Surely there are others to mention, but above all else, we must prepare for eternity.

Matthew 24:42-44 warns, “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.  But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.  For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”

Are you prepared to meet with the Lord (Matthew 6:21-23)?  If not, then today, while the skies are clear, is the time to get ready.  The judgment storm is coming.  Let’s do whatever it takes to be prepared.