God of love, hope, grace and peace – Day 21

Just as we prepare for the Christmas season, so we can also look forward to Christ’s return – we must look forward and hope to make ourselves ready.

The city was “prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband”. Consider a bride preparing for her wedding: months in advance, every little detail is planned down to the tiniest detail, in anticipation of the big day. Today’s verse refers to the holy city. Holy – set apart for God. It reminds me of how Esther went through a period of twelve months of beauty treatments before she could appear before King Xerxes.

Christ is coming again and no one knows when. How ready am I? What will he find me doing? Will he recognise me because of how far I have progressed on the path of holiness and I almost look like him? Will I be so prepared for his coming that I instinctively put my hands out to welcome him?

It reminds me of the parable Jesus told in Matthew 25 about the ten young women waiting for the bridegroom; only five were prepared and ready for his arrival.

Let this time also remind us that Christ has prepared a place for us in our Father’s house and he will return on the clouds. We should wait eagerly for his return and be ready to receive him!