Are we ready for what God is about to do? I am convinced that God wants to do a fresh work in our day. What he does will transform his people and our churches for generations to come. Are we ready? One of my fellow pastors used to say, “If you stay ready, you never have to get ready.” Are we ready?
As the time for Israel’s liberation from their slavery in Egypt drew near, God told them to sacrifice a Passover lamb and eat the meat. God gave specific instructions so that the death which would strike the firstborn would pass over the houses of the Israelites and spare their children.
God told his children to be ready. First, they removed all the yeast from their homes and ate unleavened bread. Then they dressed for dinner and a journey, as they ate the Passover meal with their sandals on, and their robes tucked in their belts so they could move out quickly. After they made their homes and their houses ready, God delivered them through the tenth and final plague. The blood of the lambs, spread on their doorframes, delivered them from death that night.
On the night of Jesus’ crucifixion, he told his disciples to be ready and keep watch. That night Jesus was betrayed and the next day he was crucified as our Passover lamb. His blood, shed for us, purchased our pardon and spared us from the death our sins deserved. This is no time for the church to settle in. “We cannot make the wind blow. But we can set the sails in case the wind of God’s Spirit blows. Prayer sets the sails.” We must be ready to go with God. If we stay ready, we will never have to get ready. Are we ready?
