In our house, we rarely set an alarm. My husband is one of those really early risers and the need for an alarm was eliminated long ago. However, I’m reminded of a morning I felt it would be necessary. I needed to be on the road at 5:30, yes 5:30 a.m., to go to my Mom’s, an hour away, to take her to a doctor’s appointment another hour and a half away. I set my phone to alarm at 5:00 so I wouldn’t oversleep. Unfortunately, my brain was still fearful I would oversleep. I woke up at 2:30, 3:30, and 4:30 each time losing several minutes of precious needed sleep. Finally, after the 4:30 wake up I decided there was no point in remaining in the bed any longer.
All night had been consumed with making sure I was ready for action when the time came. I had showered, packed a little, “just in case bag,” and pulled the clothes from the closet that I would wear that day. As I drove to my Mom’s, I was reminded of verses in the Bible that teach us to be ready!
In I Peter 3:15, we are to always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us. In other words, be ready, looking for an opportunity to share Jesus with others. When they see you are different and ask what it is about you that is different, you are prepared to share the gospel with them.
I Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”
We should always be ready to do good. This is a testimony to everyone that we care, and are seeking to love the way Jesus loved. We should always be ready to do good. No matter what our financial state or even our health we can still do good to others. Sometimes it only takes a smile, a kind word, or a prayer to change another person’s life. We should not have to be urged, coaxed, or persuaded to do good for someone else, but we should count it as a privilege to have the opportunity.
Titus 3:1 “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,”
Another area we need to be ready for is the attack of Satan. He is out to destroy us, he is sitting on the edge, like a lion ready to pounce on his prey. We need to be ready for his attack. We are told it will come and we are to stay sober, all senses at their peak so that at the onset of his attack we are ready to overcome his temptations and threats.
I Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
There are many things in our Christian walk that we need to be ready for and not be alarmed when they come. However, the ultimate readiness should be when Jesus comes back to take His followers to Heaven. We should not be alarmed. He has warned us in scripture of what is going to happen. We need to be constantly looking and continue to make preparations. We can’t set a clock to be ready for this task. The Bible says that no one knows his time of coming, but God the Father Himself. When the trumpet sounds and the sky bursts open it will be too late to get ready.
Matthew 24:44 “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
When I needed to be up earlier than normal I found out that I really didn’t need an alarm. My internal clock was set on edge ready to go at a moment’s notice. Are you ready for the final alarm or will it have to sound before you realize there are still things you need to do? Many will be in the boat of “not ready,” but for them, no alarm will help. The time to get ready for the alarm is now!
