F acing th e tumultuous t im e in which we live each man must ask himself the question, “Am I ready to meet God?” In Amos 4:12 we read the exhortation, “Prepare to meet thy God.” Some years ago, railroad compan ies offered a prize of $2500 for the best three word slogan which could be used as a warning at train cross ings. The winner had suggested, “Stop, Look, Listen”. Although cost ing $833.33 a word, the caution is to no avail unless it is heeded, un less people stop, unless they look, unless they listen. Destroyed vehi cles, mangled bodies, blood-spattered along the right-of-way, the wails of those whose loved ones went to death in a wreck, all testify to the truth of this statement. What avail is that word “Stop” if people will not stop? What pro tection does that word “Look” give if people do not look? What warning does that word “Listen” give if peo ple will not listen? Similarly, we ask, “What will you be profited when God demands that you meet Him if you make no preparations? What blessing can you expect from Jesus’ exhortation to make ready for His sudden appearing if you do not get ready” ? Our Saviour declared, “Be ye also ready, for in such a day as ye think not the Son of Man cometh.” Can medicine have efficacy to heal your body if you leave it in the bottle? Can any man avoid starvation if he doesn’t eat food prepared and placed before him? Can any man expect protection in the blizzard if the fur coat is left in the closet? Can any man, floundering in mid-ocean, hope for rescue from drowning if he re fuses a seat in the lifeboat? Will in
sistent urgings, wise warnings and gracious invitations to get ready to meet God avail for you if you turn deaf ears to them? Will not the cross be your condemnation if you flee from it? Regardless of your station in life, you must meet God. No one is ex cepted. Every man must give an ac count of himself and his deeds to the Lord. You may avoid going to church, as is the evil custom of many; you may avoid reading the Bible, as so many foolishly do; you may avoid conversation with preach ers as is true with some; you may avoid prayer, as do the sinful and ungrateful; you may avoid outland ish sins, as do the morally precise; you may avoid the courts of men and never stand up before any judge on earth; but you cannot avoid God. You may not be as bad as the mil lions, you may be better than mul titudes, you may never have the taint of criminal blood in your veins, but along with every human being you must meet God. Are you ready? You can’t get ready by ignorance and indifference. This exhortation is difficult to understand. The text is very simple. Yet, although these words are clear and simple, seem ingly they are misunderstood. People prepare for everything else except death and meeting God. They get ready to marry, they get ready to go into business, they get ready for college, they get ready for vaca tion trips, they get ready for ath letic contests, they get ready for political elections, they get ready a “nest egg” for the rainy day of old age, and yet they neglect the most important thing on earth: meeting God. People foolishly ask, “Why should 13
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