At the ready (1)

During a recent trip to the Lake District, I was approached by a young couple who asked whether I knew where a particular mountain was. I pointed vaguely in its direction, and then they asked whether they could drive to it. In a rather roundabout way I said no, so they then asked whether they could walk to it. Well, yes, they could, but it would be a challenging expedition of at least ten miles there and back.
 
They were dressed for a stroll round the town, with no walking boots, map or other outdoor equipment in sight. And the forecast for the rest of the day - which turned out to be accurate - was for rain. I suggested a less ambitious, lower level walk which would still give them a taste of the beauty of the area, even if it would leave them a bit damp. And it was far less likely to lead to a callout for one of the wonderful local Mountain Rescue teams, who continue to warn people regularly of the risks of heading to the hills without the right preparation.
 
But this got me thinking. How prepared am I? I like to think I’m a fairly organised person(!), generally preferring to plan ahead rather than act on the spur of the moment. But does my preparedness stretch to being genuinely ready for some of the most important matters of life, and death?
 
The Bible has quite a lot to say about things we need to be prepared for. Jesus spent time in the days leading up to his crucifixion teaching his disciples about the future, including things like His second coming and judgment. And a key message in this was “… keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:13). In his letter to the church in Ephesus, St Paul warned believers that they would face a spiritual battle against evil forces, and he urged them to put on the full armour of God “… so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground” (Ephesians 6:13). When Paul wrote to Titus, who helped him with his missionary work, he encouraged him to remind people to “… be ready to do whatever is good” (Titus 3:1).
 
Each of these instructions is a challenge. So how do we, alongside all the many opportunities and responsibilities that life involves, ensure we take the time to be properly prepared for things, both now and in the future, that are important to God? At its simplest, I think it’s to do with continuing to live in a right relationship with Him, getting to know Him better and growing in our faith. It’s about talking to Him in prayer, listening to Him, reading His word, being open to the promptings of His Holy Spirit, and learning to trust and obey Him. And as we do, I believe His priorities will become our priorities too.
 
Prayer - Lord, thank you for loving and accepting me, and making it possible for me to share friendship with you. Please help me to follow you more faithfully, and to increasingly be prepared and ready to serve you and live for you. Amen