Matthew 3:1-2 NLT In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, ² “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”

When someone great is coming there is always someone who will be responsible to guide the preparation.  That person will usually have a clear include an announcement and a purpose for their presence. Those who will go to meet the person who is coming also will make their own personal preparation to greet the important person who is coming.

The greater one, who has come and is coming, is the Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.   God used a man called John the Baptist to come to prepare the way for or Lord.  John was clear to not allow the people to misunderstand his purpose, but he wanted them to prepare themselves to meet Jesus the Christ.  Just as it was important to repent and receive the Lord then, it is important that we repent and receive Christ the Savior.   John allured to how much more the one he was preaching about was so much greater than he.

“I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matthew 3:11).

God loves us so much that anyone who will repent and receive Christ as their Savior can receive the Holy Spirit.  Preparations have been made for us; to receive the Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.

Matthew 24:44 NIV So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Preparation is important to me when I know that a special guest is coming to my home. The preparation may take a lot of thought and time.  Several years ago I had a family member who was coming to my home. I did not know the exact time the guest would arrive, but they had informed me of the day they anticipated arriving.

Matthew speaks of being ready for Christ’s return although we do not know the exact hour he will return.  There is preparation that we should do in order to be ready.  Are you ready for Christ’s return?  If you are ready then His return should not take you by surprise.

Christ the Messiah came to the earth to be the atonement so that anyone who believes in Him should be saved.  This demonstration of love made it possible for everyone to have the opportunity to be prepared for His second coming.

Are you prepared?

Psalm 106:1 (NLT) Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

On the last Thursday in November is when people gather to celebrate the national holiday that we call thanksgiving.   Traditionally this day is a time when family and friends will come together, eat a variety of food, and be thankful for one another.

We do not have to wait for Thanksgiving Day to give thanks to God for being God, and providing so many blessings to us.  It is a true saying that, “even if we were to start early in the morning until the end of the day we would not thank God enough”.  The goodness of God has no limits of time or tradition.

Every day we wake up we should give God thanks.

As children of God we should understand that our thanksgiving to God is not based on our circumstances.  I Thessalonians 5:18 says: Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus (NLT).

Every day is a day of thanksgiving.

Isaiah 9:6 NLT For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

In a dark world there is a deep yearning to have hope that someone will bring light.  The prophet Isaiah spoke of the Messiah coming in a form of a child but with authority, wisdom, the covering that would be forever, and ruler of peace.

The Messiah is Jesus the Christ.  The hope that we yearn for can only be found in Christ.  You cannot change the darkness in the world with your power.   God sent His Son Jesus the Christ to bring the deliverance from sin (darkness).  Everyone who will believe can find this hope.

Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV ²⁸ Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. ²⁹ He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. ³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

God is still good, no matter what you face.  God is aware of everything that you may have experienced yesterday, and will experience today and tomorrow.  God has all power, and His understanding is above your comprehension. God knows about your pain, heartache, disappointment, and your sickness.  God never gets tired of listening to your cares.  Although you may have to wait to see how God will answer your prayer, He provides strength during this time of waiting.

James 1:2-3 ²Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, ^[ whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

Growing up as young girl, I can recall hearing a hymn choir sing the song, “I still have Joy”.  Some the lyrics to the song were: after all I have been through me still having joy.

When I was young I did not understand that song, because it made no sense to me to have joy when you have been through trials and tribulations.   In James the scripture encourages believers to count the trials joy, because of the purpose it brings with your faith.  When you mature in Christ you learn to trust God in every situation, because you know that it is through the trials that you learn to have perseverance.

 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 NIV).

We never have to experience anything by ourselves, because our heavenly Father will always be there with us.   Whether it is the joyful times or the sad times, God cares.  There is no situation that is too difficult that our God cannot handle.   When we recognize that God’s will is what is best for us, we will not be dismayed when things appear to not be working out the way that we thought they should.  We should never under estimate the power of God and the presence of God at all times.