Forgetting to Prepare

TITLE: Forgetting to Prepare
DATE:  August 7, 2019
TEXT: Matthew 23; 11-12 – ESV - The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
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Last week we had a daily devo talking about the man who tried to steal a car, but was arrested because he didn’t know how to drive a stick-shift.

I had one of our readers write in and say, ”No way.”

Well, the answer is, “Yes, it’s true.

It really happened that way. But there’s more. That story got me thinking, which lead to some digging. Back in my files of illustrations I came across one which was supposed to have been carried by the Associated Press. It came from a time when I didn’t record sources, so you have to take it as it comes.

It says the robbery had gone smoothly. At 1 o'clock in the afternoon, the bandits forced an unmarked station wagon carrying precious jewels, to the curb. With precision, the six guards were taken to a paneled truck, handcuffed and driven away. The remaining bandit was to take the station wagon, with the jewels, to a predetermined rendezvous. There he would split the booty with his pals.

Was he prepared? He was not. He had forgotten how to drive a stick shift.

He used to know how, but he hadn’t practiced in years. Now, with millions of dollars, and a jail term hanging in the balance, he found himself unprepared. His get-away car got less than a block away. During that block, he managed to kill the engine no less than ten times.

Finally, he asked some construction workers to provide some help. They agreed to help – they helped themselves to the jewels.
The bandits lost $3 million dollars in gems because a robber was unprepared to drive a stick shift.
When I manage to get beyond the morality of stealing, I can’t help but feel sorry for somebody who is as ill prepared as that jewel thief. To spend years in jail because you aren’t prepared is ridiculous.

How much worse is it for people to spend eternity in hell because they aren’t prepared for judgment day. So that we might be ready, Jesus came into this world, fulfilled the law, shouldered our sins, carried our cross and died our death. Jesus did all this to prepare people for too-late-day.

 In spite of the Savior, many won’t be ready. Maybe they don’t take the judgment seriously; maybe they like to procrastinate. Whatever the reason, the consequences of being unprepared are horrible to imagine.

They are so horrible, Christendom sends our missionaries to share the message; pastors and parishes publicly preach the powerful story of salvation. After all, we don‘t want to be taken off guard when Jesus returns and asks, “Are you prepared?”

THE PRAYER Dear Lord Jesus, make me prepared, and eager, for the time when You will come. In Your Name I ask it. Amen.
 
The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html