Matthew 24:1-28 Suddenly without warning a flash of lightning bolts through the sky. The Second Coming of the Lord will be just that sudden. Does this strike fear in your heart?
Fear was my reaction when David Wilkerson interrupted his message when he was speaking at the Savannah Civic Center with this message: “Jesus just walked in the back door of this auditorium. Look! He is here!”
The audience turned to look, and then he asked us, “What did you feel when I said this?” It was a dramatic illustration of how suddenly the Lord can return. My first thought was, I’m not ready. The bride has the responsibility to make herself ready for the Lord’s return. I realized that I must prepare myself. However, no matter how well we prepare, we will never be totally ready. My only hope of being presentable as the bride to my husband, the Lord Jesus Christ, is found in the scripture below: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:2-3, KJV).
With this hope of being like Jesus when He appears, we have no more fear. Faith is the evidence of things not seen, the substance of things hoped for. The substance of hope for us is the promises of God written in His Word. What a great promise to hold to until He comes. I do not have to be fearful about His coming, but I do have the responsibility to purify myself daily. How do I do this? Daily I sin, and often I am not even sure of all the ways I have sinned. The Word of God says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, KJV).
I can purify myself daily by confessing my sins, both known and those I do not know about, to the Lord. I also ask Him for the strength to overcome the next time I am tempted to sin. Each day I pray, “Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil.” Jesus is the only One who can cleanse me and get me ready for His coming. I will be ready if my heart is daily turned to Him.
Lord, I confess my sins to You today. Cleanse me and help me to walk in Your ways. Thank You for Your purity. Purify my heart today.
READ: Exodus 21:22-23:13; Matthew 24:1-28; Psalm 29:1-11; Proverbs 7:6-23
