Are you prepared to stand firm?

Last Saturday, I spent a good portion of the day removing fallen leaves from my yard (a process that will have to be repeated since some trees are stubbornly refusing to drop leaves at the same time as others). While outside, the sounds of leaf blowers and lawnmowers filled the air, but every once in a while there was another sound reminding me that, yes, we are in November and soon winter will be upon us – the sound of a snowblower being started to make sure it’s ready to go whenever the first significant snowfall happens. 

Are you prepared for winter? While I didn’t get our snowblower prepped, I did order some new boots with a great grip. Living on a hill, that is as essential as making sure the snowblower works. Just about once per winter I slip while snow blowing or shoveling. Years ago, when we still had a newspaper delivered, I went out in the morning to pick it up at the end of the driveway and started sliding down our hill, much like a skateboarder would have except  without the skateboard. I ended up jumping in the snow and walking back up through it rather than continue down the entire block. Indeed, being able to have a secure grip on the snow and ice is very important. 

This weekend is the second-last Sunday of the church year, a time when the readings remind us to be prepared for our Lord’s return. While some people try to make the Scriptures say things they don’t and come up with elaborate scenarios of which countries will be at war and what sort of things world governments will do to Christians and who the antichrist will be, the Scriptures, while giving us a picture of a world in turmoil but also apathetic toward our Lord, continue to call us to one basic thing: Stand firm in the faith. Walk with Jesus, lest you slip and fall. 

The world is filled with so many distractions, whether it be seeking after its riches and pleasures or fear and anxiety concerning the future. Jesus continues to say, “Follow Me!” And so we do through daily time in His Word  and prayer, gathering together for worship and to celebrate His Supper, and, as the writer to the Hebrews says,  “encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)