The deck officer ran his white gloved hand carefully over the tall steel computer cabinet. His eyes scanned the radar room, looking for anything that might be out of place. Would any dust or dirt appear on his glove? “It passes,” he shouted while his colleague checked off my area on a large legal-looking note pad. Then he was gone. The load was lifted as he drifted into the distance, and I thought of the preparation for this event.
Preparing to meet the deck officer was on my mind days before the inspection. Meeting someone of his authority made me rethink my daily routine as the annual review drew closer. You see, I knew the date of the inspection and had sufficient time to ready myself and the area in question. Standing before a military officer is far different than standing before the God of the universe. Yet we will all stand to be inspected in a coming day, to appear before the Creator and have that final tribunal.
Have you made any preparation to meet God? We have asked that question many times and the answers are so varied. “I go to church every week, try to do my best, do not want to hurt anyone, help my neighbors, and hope God will look at my life and be pleased enough to allow me into heaven.”
If lives were measured on man’s level, that might work. God has created the standard and the Bible states in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” We have fallen short of God’s standard, and that is the problem. We try to measure ourselves against each other; but we should measure ourselves against a holy God. All must admit complete and utter failure as we contrast our lives of sin against One Who is perfect.
When Amos stated, “Prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12), he was speaking words of warning from a heart that cared for these wayward people. They had been warned over and over, yet they continued on their own way. Wait, does that not strike a familiar chord in some heart? Some have been warned by circumstances, warned by the Word of God, warned of coming danger and judgment, yet there was no change in their life. Yes, danger was very near and soon many of these people would lose their lives because of sin. Their time to prepare was NOW. Paul said, “Behold, now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2).
God’s salvation is available now, even as you read these words. Sin is a real and present problem in this world, and you surely have experience with it in your life. The Father sent the Son to be the offering for sin, to be the acceptable sacrifice. Our transgressions had to be dealt with, because our attempts to please God fell so infinitely short of His perfect standard. “Prepare to meet thy God” notifies us that we are not fit to meet Him as we are. Some action has to take place in the life – your life. God has provided the remedy for mankind. God sent His Son to do the work, because we could not. We are sinners; we cannot please God the way we are. Christ satisfied God’s requirement as a fit, willing, and perfect sacrifice for sin. There is no work to be done, because it has already been completed. The Way has been prepared by God through the work of Christ. The Bible says, “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” We receive the gift, and we receive eternal life.
Sin is horrible and it has eternal consequences. Without God’s salvation, eternity for you will be eternal judgment. The Lord Jesus bids you to come to Him just now. Then you will be prepared to meet your God.