Which One Trusted God?

"There were two farmers who were experiencing a drought. Both farmers prayed for rain. The first farmer, after praying every morning, went out and tended to his fields. When the second farmer saw this, he said to the first: 'We haven’t had rain for months. What are you doing?' The first farmer said: 'I’m preparing for rain.'" 

It's January 9th, 2011 and everyone is hustling to get what they need from the grocery store. Why? Because there is a winter storm advisory in effect for many southern states including Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. I've learned over my years living in those three states as well as in Virginia, that even an inch of snow is cause to cancel school and shut down businesses. My mother, being from the northeast, usually just smirks at the "panic" that usually ensues with these winter weather advisories and continues going about her daily life as planned. The rest of the south, however, heads out to Publix or Kroger with a sense of urgency. Bread and milk seem to be on the top of everyone's shopping list; for reasons I do not nor ever will understand. After all, if I were to be unable to leave my house due to the one inch of snow, I would not want items which would soon spoil. I, to quote my good friend, Janae Burnside, would choose canned goods and bottled water. Alas, this story is not about me it is about you: the ones scurrying about like summer ants preparing their winter food supply.

My question to you all is this: if we prepare so eagerly, urgently, and sometimes a bit intensely, for a little bit of snow why do we not prepare as passionately for the coming of Christ?  In His word He reminds us over and over to do so. Why do we not? What gets in our way? I think that that answer can be found every where; including the radio. Have you ever heard the song, "Live Like You Were Dying?" I know most of you have. The message in that song is basically to never take life for granted. Life is short and we should never waste a moment we might not get back. It is an amazing message and it's something we should all strive for: to live like we're dying. The problem here is that most people forget that its true..we are dying. It's an inevitable part of our life. We should absolutely live like we're dying and that means preparing for that day.

When we get up in years, many of us will start preparing our last will and testament. Some of us will decide what funeral arrangements we want made. We may even go so far as to arrange a plot and headstone so that our loved ones left behind will not be faced with such decisions themselves. These things indicate that we are well aware of what is coming eventually and that we want to take care of all things related to the time of our physical death. But have we prepared our souls for that physical death? For the time when Christ comes for us? Are we ready spiritually? Mark 13:33 says for us to watch and pray because we do not know when the time is (for His return). And it's true; neither we nor even the angels know the day or hour of His coming (Matt 34:36). So...shouldn't we prepare? As if it might happen tomorrow? It seems the logical thing to do and yet many of us act as if we have eternity to worry about the condition of our hearts and lives. We do not because we don't know the time we have left. We could be called up before I finish my blog post. James 4:14 says, "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." 

Not only should we prepare because time is short or because we do not know the precise day or hour of Christs' coming, but we should prepare because He specifically tells us the difference between the servants who are and the servants who are not doing the work of the master while he is away. Matthew 24:44-51 tells it this way: 

"Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

What will you be found doing when the Master, Jesus Christ our Lord, returns? Will you be doing the work of the kingdom? Will you be working the fields and preparing it for the coming rain? Or will you be the second farmer who decided to wait for the rain before preparing his fields? I hope you choose to be the first farmer. I hope you will be the diligent servant who is rewarded when the master returns. That is my aim and my desire. This message was mostly for those of us already saved by grace. If you have not committed your life to Christ and asked for His salvation, my prayer for you is found in Isaiah, "Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near." 


Today, let us prepare for rain...and snow if we must.

Picture: By Melissa Lee; Marks' Melon Patch 2009

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