The Bible (KJV) says, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Mt. 24: 44).
The word “ready” is defined as, “prepared for use or action; likely to do something indicated; willingly disposed; inclined; spontaneously prompt; immediately available; ready for immediate use.”
When asked if we’re ready, we might say, “I’m getting ready” or “I’m almost ready” or “I’ll be ready in a minute.” All of these statements are descriptive of our coming into a state of preparedness. We’re trying to and working toward being ready but we’re just not there yet. We know we can’t go, do, or move forward until we’re ready. But we must not make a career of getting ready. We get ready to do and then we stay ready.
We cannot always be ready for any or everything. But when we know that we’ll be participating in something we enjoy being involved in, we get ourselves ready for it. We get ready for a game, a play, a solo, a speech, or a sermon. In order that we may do our best at any of these we prepare ourselves or get ourselves ready. As we make ourselves ready for small things, we’re also getting ourselves ready for big things.
Ezra was ready. “This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given . . . For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments” (Ezra 7: 6, 10). Because Ezra had prepared himself by seeking and doing the law of God he was prepared and ready for immediate use by God to teach it to others.
The Psalmist was ready. “My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer” (Ps. 45 : 1). The Psalmist tongue spoke as freely, fluidly, smoothly, clearly, and sincerely as though he were writing all his words down, which he did. As Ezra was a ready scribe in the law of Moses the Psalmist was as ready with his tongue to exalt and praise the King, who is the Messiah, along with His Bride the church.
Paul was ready. “So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also” (Rom. 1: 15). Paul was prepared, ready for immediate use by God, to preach the gospel anywhere at anytime. Paul at the time of this writing was ready to travel to Rome and preach to them there if God willed it.
Paul was ready to die when it came time for him to die, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand” (2 Tim. 4: 6). Paul was ready to die, or rather to move to Heaven and start living in the very Presence of God because, he said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (vs. 7, 8).
We become ready by the Holy Spirit doing a work in our soul so that we will be holy vessels, fit for the Master’s use. Readiness or preparedness for God’s service involves death to self and the world that we might be ready to serve God at every opportunity He makes available to us. It means living in such a way that we’re ready for His immediate return and to not be ashamed at His appearing.
“Ready to go, ready to stay,
Ready my place to fill;
Ready for service, lowly or great,
Ready to do His will.”
-C. D. Tillman
