I Wish We'd All Been Ready

"The days grew dark, the sun grew cold. A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold. I wish we'd all been ready." I hear in my mind the haunting echo of this song as I open the eyes of my spirit and gaze into the Revelation. "The revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave him to show his slaves what must quickly take place" (Revelation 1:1).

"Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, including those who pierced him. And all the families of the earth will mourn over him. This is certain. Amen" (Revelation 1:7). I lift my eyes to the clouds and my heart skips a beat. It will be soon, I know this. But why does He delay?

Even as I ask the question I know the reason. I know that it is God's kindness that is intended to lead us to repentance. It was God's kindness, His love, that caused Him to send His son. He didn't come with condemnation but instead Jesus came with an invitation to all who believe. An invitation to have eternal life, an invitation to enter the kingdom of God, an invitation to repent.

Jesus didn't come into the world to condemn the world, but there will be judgment and He is the judge. He is the light that came into the world exposing the deeds of darkness. He is the truth that came into the world revealing the lie. He is the way, the only way, that leads to life. But there is both judgment and condemnation to those who love the darkness, reject the way, and embrace the lie.

Soon the prophetic words of Jesus will be fulfilled, "The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the celestial powers will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds from one end of the sky to the other" (Matthew 24:29,30).

He is coming. "The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). I think of all those I love and I hope we will all be ready.