Are You Ready?

Happy December friends,

It's December First! I can hardly believe December is already here. We are less than 25 days away from Christmas Day... Jesus' Birthday.

As I was in a rush to decorate and get our home ready for Christmas before I head out to speak to the awesome ladies in New Jersey and Michigan I ran across this thoughtful devotion. I hadn't read over this in such a long time and reading it today brought me to my knees in the middle of boxes of ornaments and yards of garland.

I pray it will cause you to realign your priorities and will cause to you ask yourself, "Are you ready?"

One day during a Christmas season when our children were small we were praying together. In that prayer I thanked the Lord for His presence with us and said "amen."
A split second after my "amen" our five-year-old daughter cried out, "Presents? Where are the presents?"
The prospects of His presence -- Emmanuel, God with you -- should excite us.

We ought to be even more thrilled than my daughter was when she thought some gift-wrapped packages had arrived.

This is the coming of our Redeemer, of our Savior, of our Passover Lamb.

Are you excited? Are you getting ready?

There's a century-old invitation gospel song that goes: "There's a great day coming . . . Are you ready for that day to come?"

That Will Thompson song from the late 1800's grabbed at people's hearts.

Thousands (and perhaps millions) have come to Christ as Thompson's lyrics were being sung. Admittedly, the words weren't about Advent. They asked about being ready for the Judgment Day. Still, the song's question is a good one to ponder at Advent time: Are you ready? Am I ready?
The King is coming. Are you ready?

So friends, How are you preparing your heart, in order to be ready for His arrival?