“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.” — 2 Peter 3:10
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NFL teams start training camp with 90 players and trim their rosters down to 53 players before the first regular-season game. That means each of the 32 teams cuts 37 players, so more than 1,100 guys are let go from teams annually.
In spite of all of the best efforts of coaches, some of the most talented football players don’t last, whether it’s because of attitudes, like a lack of listening, or skipping meetings or practices without a valid reason. Some just aren’t ready or willing for what it takes.
In our lives, we need to be ready for Jesus’ second coming.
Though God made the world perfect in every way, sin brought corruption into the world. In the beginning, it was a few sins by a small group of people, but sin grew and multiplied over time. People moved further and further away from God and His ways, so the Lord warned Noah about an approaching flood that would wipe out the evil. God was patient for several generations, but people became more and more wicked and refused to listen to God’s commands (Genesis 6:6-7).
Yet, Noah stood out as a good man in the midst of wickedness. Therefore, God planned to preserve at least one family in order to preserve humankind. Before the rain started, Noah had two jobs: make a boat and then fill it with animals and food (Genesis 6:19-21). Noah and his sons built a massive wooden ark over decades, and it had room for two of every kind of animal. It is presumed that Noah — later called a “preacher of righteousness” — warned his neighbors of the coming flood, but if he did, they didn’t listen to him.
Surely, God is patient with us and prefers to show mercy. But the Lord makes deadlines for us and we need to draw near to Him while we have life, breath and good understanding. That’s why Jesus compared His second coming to the time of Noah, because God doesn’t tell us the date of major events beforehand, but He lets us know we need to be prepared at any moment (Matthew 24:36-37).
As the Holy Spirit inspired Peter to write, he explained that the world was covered with water one time, but fire will consume everything except those who are safe in Christ’s arms (2 Peter 3:10, above). We need to heed God’s warnings and be ready to meet God at any moment. Are you ready?
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
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