Our Preparation for the Coming Day

Prayer-Soldier

Our Preparation for the Coming Day

Scripture:

Behold the days come, says the Lord, that I will perform the good word that I have spoken to the house of Israel, and to the house of Juda. In those days, and at that time, I will make the bud of justice to spring forth unto David, and he shall do judgment and justice in the earth. In those days shall Juda be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell securely: and this is the name that they shall call him, The Lord our just one.
(Jeremiah 33:14-16)

And may the Lord multiply you, and make you abound in charity towards one another, and towards all men: as we do also towards you, to confirm your hearts without blame, in holiness, before God and our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, with all his saints. Amen. For the rest therefore, brethren, we pray and beseech you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received from us, how you ought to walk, and to please God, so also you would walk, that you may abound the more. For you know what precepts I have given to you by the Lord Jesus.
(1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2)

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves; Men withering away for fear, and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved; and then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud, with great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand.

And take heed to yourselves, lest perhaps your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly. For as a snare shall it come upon all that sit upon the face of the whole earth. Watch, therefore, praying at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come, and to stand before the Son of man.
(Luke 21:25-28, 34-36)

Reflection:

In our times of trial and tribulation, a remnant few look to the future when the champion of good shall triumph over the purveyor of evil so we may rejoice over the coming peace. We are tempted to believe that justice and peace will come as the outcome of violent battle, for we often fail to see the greater power by which the prince of darkness has already been vanquished and the gates opened to the kingdom of peace for all who seek to be purified of the poisons which the evil one has injected into so many hearts.

Force may overcome force, but peace remains elusive as those who are defeated nurse their wounds of real and imagined injustice. They quietly prepare their hearts for a day of vengeance. The cycle continues and is passed through the generations to the delight of the evil one. Many even forget over what they seek to destroy one another. They are simply prompted by the hate which they are taught from their youth. Only when the people learn the power of love and forgiveness will the cycle be broken; for as long as hate, greed, envy, and the lust for power wanders through weak hearts, the dark one will be emboldened to spread his snares of evil.

The prophets speak of the day of judgment and justice; a day where hearts filled with darkness shall be held to account. We look to it as a time in the future, but with each passing moment, it becomes a moment closer. Before we know it, the moment shall be upon us, whether it is the end of times for the world or our last day within.

The question for every soul is what will be in our heart on that day? Will it be filled with the evils of our times or will it be filled with contrite sorrow for our failings and love for the ways of God? As we reflect upon days past, we must ask, how will we prepare ourselves for the coming judgment? How many hearts will cry out against us for justice in response to the harms which have come from us in what we have done and what we have failed to do? How many hearts will testify to the blessings of love we have shared?

The evil one will delight in our prosecution, but, we must ask, who will be our defender? Who will stand with us to espouse the good within us? Will it be the One we spurn through our sin? In our moment of need, we should not be surprised, for He already told us what He would do and He demonstrated His Word from upon the cross. If we turn from Him, we may find ourselves alone (cf. Matthew 10:32-33), but if we believe in Him and turn to Him, He will be our salvation. (cf. John 3:14-21)

The choice remains with us. No other can make it for us. It is within our power to ignore Him. It is within our power to work against Him. It is within our power to spurn Him, but then, we must ask ourselves, why would we do such a thing to the One who loves us beyond all measure? Why would we not, instead, turn away from the one who drives all misery? Why would we ever consider turning away from the Immaculate Heart of the One who laid down His life for us and calls us to share the blessings of love with one another?

The days pass with many distractions at hand, but blessed are those who focus themselves upon the Heart of Love which calls to them. They look with anticipation and prepare for the celebration to come after the great tribulation. They endeavor to live according to the teaching of His Word and seek his forgiveness with contrite and penitent hearts.

We do not know the day or the hour, so we must understand there is a danger in complacency. We are tempted to believe the day of judgment is far away from us, but our end of days could come sooner than we believe. Who wakes up knowing that this day will be our last? Until that moment, we know nothing for certain. If we prepare ourselves as if each day may be the day we shall be called to account, we need not worry, for when our last day comes, we shall be prepared to eagerly receive the embrace of our Lord.

Questions for further reflection:

In what ways do we prepare our hearts for the day which shall yield eternal peace?

In what ways do we seek to conduct ourselves in ways which are pleasing to God?

In what ways do we endeavor to set aside the anxieties of our daily life so we may spend peaceful time with our Lord?

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier