Being Ready

Dear Boys and Girls,

Do you have to be “called” in the morning, or do you wake up at the right time – a knock on the door, or a shake and the words: “Time to get up!” It is always good to be ready on time; ready for breakfast, ready for school, always ready in the morning. You will be ready for the whole day if you first hear and obey God's call in the morning.

He called Moses, saying, “Be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present thyself there to be in the top of the Mount.” You cannot hear God's voice in your ears, but you can hear it in your heart. So, when you get up in the morning do not leave your bedside without kneeling down and presenting yourself to God. Ask him to keep you in the right way, the way of truth and goodness, all through the day, for when you do this, you can start the day in earnest, wherever you are, at school, or at work, or at play. Each one has something to do which is their own special bit. God gives to each of His children some task, however small it may be, and He wants us to do our work faithfully, heartily, and with joy, “As to the Lord.” (Col 3:23.)

Jesus spoke about a man who went away leaving his servants in charge of his house. Each one had something to do, and the porter was commanded to watch at the door. If the Master returned without warning, what then? Doing their work faithfully, expecting their Master to come any moment, those servants would be happy to welcome him and eager to show him the house, clean and ready, and safe. They would be happy at his smile of approval and receive the reward he had for them. But if those servants left to themselves neglected their duties and played about all day, or quarrelled amongst themselves, wasting time in argument, what then? The Master would return when they were not looking for him and find his house in disorder, work at a standstill – nothing being done. No smile for those servants, no reward for them.

The Lord Jesus asks and expect us all to do our bit, to learn our lessons or fill in our little daily tasks in such a way that at any time He may come to look at them and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have done little things faithfully today; I will soon give you greater things to do for Me.”