We have been made to believe that
God is a charity officer who can do everything. Oh yes, he can do all things,
but he has chosen not to do some things. God will not do what he has asked you
to do. One of those things he will not do is the preparation that you must do to make yourself
ready for his kingdom.
The Yoruba people say ‘Ijo ti a
nrajo ko ni a n ge eekanna’ literally meaning that you ‘don’t schedule manicure
and pedicure for your flight departure time’. The bible enjoins us to prepare
to meet our God (Amos 4:12). It also admonishes you to ‘prepare your work
without, make it fit for yourself in the field; and afterwards build your house’
(pro. 24:27). Preparation is the first level of getting things ready. To fail
to prepare is to prepare to fail. Act now, start preparing!
Stop praying that God should
prepare you!!! Rather, act on his word, and do those things he has commanded
you to do. Prepare to instantly obey the Lord at his first prompting, prepare to
act on whatever he instructs you to do. As you act on those things, you are
inevitably preparing yourself for his kingdom. It is a wrong prayer to ask God
to prepare you. Stop being foolish!!!
The more uncertain your journey
is, the more prepared you should be. Some of us who migrated from Africa to Europe
or the cold parts of the United States found out about the weather ahead of our
journey, we went shopping and acquired cardigans or coats suitable for the
weather so that we will not be sick on arrival. The same goes for the kingdom
of God. Find out from God’s word what you need to do to make yourself ready as
you journey to the kingdom of God, buy the truth and sell it not. He hath
shewed thee o man, and he hath shewed thee o woman what you need to do! God has
given you and I all things that pertains to life and godliness, and godliness
is profitable. Begin my beloved to exercise yourself unto godliness (2 Pt. 1:3,
1 Tim. 4: 7-8).
The foolish virgins referenced in
the bible were regarded as born-again as you and I are, but unfortunately, they
were not prepared for the journey they were scheduled for. Listen, common sense
which the Lord hath given them should have made them to acquire extra oil just
in case of any uncertainty in their journey. If getting to heaven is truly your
goal, make a list of what the scriptures emphasizes that you need to do to get
to heaven, and practice doing them.
When you have prepared yourself
and are ready for the return of our Lord and our eventual departure to heaven
with him if we remain alive when he appears, then can heaven rejoice and be
glad for you (Rev. 19:7).
