Be Prepared

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

-- Matthew 24:44

On December 22, 2018, a tsunami (“tidal wave”) struck Indonesia. Casualties included more than 400 people killed and about 1,500 injured.

It was nearly 14 years earlier that a similar natural disaster struck the region. December 26, 2004, began innocently enough, with families enjoying the morning on tropical Asian beaches. Suddenly, a magnitude 9.3 earthquake, as powerful as 23,000 Hiroshima-style atomic bombs, struck near the island of Sumatra. The resulting tsunami rose to the height of an 8-story building and struck 11 nations along the Indian Ocean. More than 200,000 people died.

Seismic equipment had detected and recorded the massive earthquake. However,

for both the 2004 and 2018 events, Indonesia had no working tidal gauges to spot a tsunami. But warning signs were there. And most of the victims either didn’t recognize them, heed them or have time to react. They were completely unprepared.

Disasters, whether natural or man-made, happen every day. They’re often unpredictable. And there’s no guarantee for saving ourselves, our family or property — even if we do recognize the warning signs. There are, however, signals for a much greater world-changing event that could happen at any moment. What’s more, we can begin our preparations right now.

God has promised us that one day, a Savior (Jesus) will return to right all the wrongs of this world, save and reward those who believe in Him, and send all others to an eternity of torment. No one knows the exact time or day that Christ will appear. But many of the related Bible prophesies have already been fulfilled, such as the re-birth of the State of Israel. There’s nothing to stop His Second Coming.

This means that Jesus could return in 5 minutes or in 500 years. But either way, we must be prepared. That’s because we don’t know when our time on Earth will cease. Check the headlines and you’re bound to find stories about people killed through accidents, from crime or by sudden illness (like a stroke or heart attack). Like the victims of the tragic 2018 and 2004 tsunamis, they had no idea that their time was up.

Here’s the obvious question: Are you prepared to meet your Maker? Your answer has eternal consequences. “So you also must be ready,” Jesus warns us, “because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Our God is a God of justice. And since we’ve all failed to live up to His high standards, we all deserve the death penalty that Jesus endured for us on the cross. If you’re not sure whether you’ll spend eternity with God or without Him, the Apostle Paul offers this guidance:

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

The signs are all around us … and disaster is on the way. But don’t panic. Instead, be prepared.