March 8, 2024
Read: Acts 1:7-8 The Final Call
“This is United Airways flight #2532 to Charlotte. Final call. Charlotte passengers Rogers, Kimble, and Turner, please report to gate A11 immediately for boarding or your seats will be given away. The doors of this aircraft will close in three minutes and will not reopen. Final call.”
Sitting two gates down, I glanced around the terminal and watched for Rogers, Kimble or Turner to storm the check-in desk at A11. No one approached. With the urgency of John the Baptist, the airline agent again beckoned his lost travelers to the gate, raising his voice to emphasize the words, “… will close … will not reopen … Final call.”
Three minutes passed, and no one approached the United Airways agent. He handed the tickets for Rogers, Kimble, and Turner to three unnamed standbys, who rushed onto the jet way without looking back. Then, the agent shut the door.
What happened to Rogers, Kimble, and Turner? Did something delay them, or did they change their minds about going?
Ten bridesmaids waited for the bridegroom. According to Jesus’ story, when the call rang out at midnight that the bridegroom approached, five bridesmaids were ready with lamps and oil. The other five were not. By the time the unprepared bridesmaids rushed to town to purchase more oil, it was too late. The door to the wedding party was shut and would not reopen. (Matthew 25:1-13)
Christ wants us to be ready when he returns.
And, with the same urgency of the airline agent, he commissions us to work wherever and in whatever capacity God calls us to spread His good news. While the plane is still at the gate. Before the door shuts. Before the final call.
Consider the last words Jesus spoke before he ascended into heaven …
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”
(Acts 1:7-8, NIV)
Be Still and Reflect: In what areas of your life do you feel prepared should Christ return tomorrow, and in what areas do you recognize a need for greater readiness? How can you actively cultivate a sense of urgency in living out your faith and spreading the good news of Christ?
Pray: Lord Jesus, Thank You for the reminder of the importance of readiness in my walk with You. Help me to heed the urgency conveyed in Your teachings and to live with a sense of readiness for Your return. Show me any areas in my life where I may be unprepared or lacking in vigilance. Grant me the grace to address them with sincerity and determination. Empower me to work diligently in spreading Your good news, seizing every opportunity to serve You and others before the final call is sounded. May I live each day with a sense of purpose and urgency, keeping my lamp lit and my heart ready to receive You. In Your name, I pray, Amen.
By His Grace,
Gloria