"Are You Ready?!"

"Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." 

-Matthew 24:44-

Hi there friend!  Hope you are having a great day!

I was thinking on the word "ready" and what instances come to mind with the question, "Are you ready?"

I think of:

• a friend on a roller coaster saying it right before taking off for an exhilarating ride.
• an instructor saying it before sending a nervous new sky diver out of the plane to the free fall of his or her life
• a calm nurse saying it with a reassuring smile before taking an anxious patient into the operating room
• a scout leader saying it to his fellow campers before embarking with them on a wilderness adventure
• a coach saying it to his team right before they run onto the field for the big game
• a boss saying it to his assistant as they are about to walk into an important meeting
• an athlete saying it to his fellow runner as they are getting poised to take off down the track 
• a Commander in Chief saying it to his soldiers before going into intense battle
• a Father saying it as he holds out his arm for his daughter right before walking her down the aisle to her groom

Ya know, I don't think every "person" in these scenarios would've felt ready, but each one was willing.  Did you know that "willing" is a definition of the word ready?  So, even though they might not have felt like it with their emotions, they were living out a readiness, because they saw the benefit as greater than turning back or giving up.

Now, look at those scenarios and put yourself in each position of the one being asked the question -only picture it on more of a spiritual level.  

God wants us to be ready to:

• face our fears! He's the best Friend to have and loves taking us on exhilarating rides of faith!
• trust Him explicitly with our lives. He's the best instructor and loves giving you freedom when you "fall" into His arms!
• open our heart to Him and let Him do "surgery" on it when needed. He is the Great Physician and loves reassuring our hearts in peace and truth!
• trust Him in the wilderness' of life and view it as an adventure with Him as our Scout Leader! He has gone before and behind us and loves protecting us as we follow Him!
• be "game" for His "plays" (aka plans) and to be conditioned for when He says to go and what He says to do - He is the GREATEST life coach ever!  He knows every move of the opposers of righteousness - life with Him is a WIN! ;)
• meet with Him and share His heart every day! He is the greatest "Boss" of all time and He loves time in the "meeting room" with you!  He loves sharing with you His vision and having you desire to share His heart and vision to others with passion!
• run with patience the race that is set before us!  He is the Author and Finisher of our faith and loves spurring us on to cross the finish line of heaven with all we have so that we can hear Him say to us - "Well done my good and faithful servant!" :)  He also wants us to always spur on our fellow faith runners in life!
• be equipped with His Word and a shield and sword, so that we can defend ourselves and the weak when satan attacks and we can fight to drive him away in God's power!  God is our Commander in Chief!  He's All Knowing and the Mightiest of the Mighty!  His Kingdom is Forever and He is the Great Overcomer!  With Him is VICTORY both now and forever more!
• let Him lead as our Father.  He's the kindest sweetest Father!
• to be the church bride waiting for the coming of the Lord - the church's groom!!!!  He is COMING back to rule and reign forevermore!!!

"Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." -Matthew 24:44

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:  because fear hath torment..." -I John 4:18a

"Preserve me, O God: for in Thee do I put my trust." -Psalms 16:1

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.  Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith..." -Hebrews 12:1-2a

"Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty:  for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine; Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art exalted as head above all!" -1 Chronicles 29:11

"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." -I Corinthians 16:13

Are you ready?  Be willing and equipped!  Walk with God and be in His Word friends!

Blessings to you!

~Bri