by Those who live with anticipation understand the importance of preparation, in all areas of life. This was evident when I messaged a pastor in America this week and he replied that he was stacking 2 cords firewood. This reminded me that we are in different hemispheres — while we are going into summer, cold winter days are on your doorstep. Point is, if I’m anticipating my hemisphere, then I am not preparing for winter. However, regardless if I’m prepared or not, if I were in America I would be shoveling snow.
Anticipation driving preparation is instinctive to all of God’s creation, from the smallest to the greatest. In Proverbs 6, we are told to consider the ways that tiny little ants “prepare their meat in the summer” (Prov. 30:25). On a larger scale, as waters cool, salmon anticipate freezing and prepare by fattening up. As salmon swim upstream, bears anticipate freezing and prepare by fattening up on the salmon. Each of these, ants, salmon and bear, all anticipate God’s natural order in creation and they prepare accordingly.
Spiritually speaking, anticipating our appointment after this life (Heb. 9:27) drives us to words like Amos’, “prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12). For the unsaved, this preparation is salvation unto eternal life (Rom. 6:23). For the saved, this preparation is sanctification unto eternal rewards (1 Cor. 3:11-15). However, regardless if prepared or not, all men will meet their Creator.
Does anticipation drive your preparation to meet God? Consider this. Paul spent 3 chapters in Romans establishing God’s holiness in His righteous judgement. When we meet God, on the authority of His inspired Word, those who are unprepared will stand without excuse:
- Heathen man, because of God’s creation (Romans 1)
- Moral man, because of our conscience (Romans 2)
- Religious man, because of God’s Word (Romans 3).
Are you prepared for your divine appointment, without excuse?
