Hope and Preparation

30/09/07 21:19
Packing a suitcase for vacation and running through a perpetual mental list of things to do before leaving is just a couple of things that one does to prepare for a trip. I will pack a bathing suit if I have the hope of swimming in the ocean and I’ll pack skis if I am planning a trip to the mountains. I would look pretty silly if I reached to my destination point on the beaches of the Atlantic, and unloaded my car full of ski equipment. The point is this; the hope that I have during the time that I prepare for my trip will help me to prepare correctly. Do you remember Paul telling us in Romans 8, that we are saved by hope? Now think about this in association with our lives. We go through are daily lives preparing for everything from breakfast to retirement. Some prepare for their days by going over their written list because they want to be sure to complete all that they had hoped to accomplish. Let’s say that I wanted to accomplish a big job on a particular day. The hope that I have of doing this will cause me to arrange my schedule, plan my breaks and do certain jobs at certain times. I will do the small jobs that I can do alone while I am waiting for my buddy to arrive to help me with the bigger ones. Do you understand what I mean? If I sat around idle until my buddy arrived then not only did I lose precious time during the day but also I would still have all those little jobs to accomplish. Hope escapes us like smoke escaping out the window of a burning house when we fail to prepare. I am not playing with words here. True hope causes me to prepare and preparation increases my hope. It’s like the joy of the Lord gives you strength. When you joy in the Lord, He gives you more of Himself and the more joy you receive. The more joy you receive the stronger you become. The stronger you become the more joy you will experience. See how it works?!

Now, back to preparing correctly. I am planning a trip (and it’s not just on a vacation to Myrtle Beach). I’m preparing to go to Heaven and meeting with the Creator, the Mighty God! I don’t need to pack any luggage but I do need to prepare my soul. I know that God saved me by the Blood of Jesus Christ, but I also know that He still desires to separate from my heart all the worldly desires that have accumulated in me over the years when I hadn’t lived for Him. We must remember that we are heading for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and we shall be presented as the bride… We must prepare accordingly!
Have a good week! Pastor Jim
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