Well, I got back to town Saturday after house sitting in the country for a couple from the church here who made a trip to Israel for about three and a half weeks. It's the second time I have done this for them. But something struck me this time around as I was preparing for their return. As the time before that I house sat for them, I again wanted things to be in order in their house when they returned. I think the Lord made a lesson out of it this time around though. I hadn't really messed things up but I had lived there and things needed tending to. I washed up the remaining dirty dishes and swept and vaccumed the rugs although they weren't that dirty. But I wanted to diligently make sure you know. I took my bed sheets and washed them and made the bed look good by putting the clean sheets back. I went over their chicken coup outside and gathered up the eggs as usual as I ad been doing and sort of straightend out the coup a bit. I made sure the car I took his mother to church in each Sunday was okay and not dirty. And I tended to things hoping to get a good report when they returned. I found myself wondering how much care and thought we give to living as if we would meet Christ soon or even today? Have we made ready? Are we making ready? Are our garments, sanctification, and inner attitudes cleaned, washed and in order? I didn't have to vaccum their rugs really but what if there was even a little bit of uncleanness in the rugs I thiought. It's the little foxes that spoil the vines. This brother had called me and let me know when they would be returning and what day the return would be. Yet what was my problem with that? The problem was I didn't know the hour or minute of their return so I had to be ready no matter when hour or minute they came around the country drive. So I went over the house even again and when they returned the man and the wife said well things look good here. That is what I wanted to hear. Do you catch my point? I bet you do. I'm not tooting my own horn but this was a good spiritual lesson to me.
"Therefore be on the alert, for you do not not know which day your Lord is coming." (Matthew 24:42)
"Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments, lest he walk about naked and men see his shame." (Rev 16:15)
"Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies Himself, just as He is pure." (I John 3:3)