I fully intended to write a lighthearted blog post this week about the carefree days of summer. All of the fun activities we look forward to all winter long while we’re stuck inside, swimming, hiking, boating, grilling. But Jesus just wouldn’t let me do it. The longer I tried to write that post, the more He pulled at my heart. When I started this blog a few years ago, I worried that I wouldn’t know what to say or that my words wouldn’t be good enough. I compared my writing to all of those other blogs out there whose writers have beautiful, flowery words that I don’t have. I spent a lot of time praying about how I should approach writing this blog and God’s answer was very clear to me. He said, “You don’t need flowery words, you need honesty.” His words set me free and I began writing with a new found confidence. I will always write the truth about God’s word even when honesty is hard. His truth isn’t carefree, it’s straightforward and in your face. We all have times when we don’t want to hear the truth because it holds a mirror up to us that isn’t always pretty. But the truth is what we need to hear and it is what God has asked me to write. So with that, I mind, I yield to His plan for this blog post.

The Parable of the Fig Tree

People often ask, ”Why did Jesus teach in parables”? And the answer is simply this, we can all relate to these parables. After two thousand years, the meaning is still the same. No matter where we come from or what stage in life we are in, the story is something we can all understand.

Jesus Christ is coming back! And the Parable of the Fig Tree is a call to all Christians to be ready when He does. Just like we would prepare ourselves for a summer vacation by booking a flight and packing our bags, there are things we can do to prepare for the second coming of Jesus:

#1 Recognize the Signs.

Now learn the parable of the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
                                                               Matthew 24:32-34

When we see the leaves budding on the trees and the flowers blooming, we know that summer is just around the corner. If we are familiar with Scripture and know what to look for, we will recognize the signs that Jesus is just around the corner too. We should be immersing ourselves in God’s word every day. And when we do that, the signs that the coming of Jesus is near should be as plain to us as the coming of summer.

#2 Watch.

Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
                                                               Matthew 24:42-43

We should always have an eager expectation that Jesus could come back at any moment. And that expectation should be reflected in our lives. If we knew that someone was getting ready to break into our house and take everything we have worked so hard for, we wouldn’t just go to bed and pretend that the thief wasn’t coming. We would be sitting up all night waiting, ready to catch him in the act. This is the kind of eager expectation we should feel for the second coming of Jesus. We should be sitting up waiting for Him to come through the door like a thief in the night. It’s easy to become complacent and forget that He is coming soon. We get caught up in other things that seem so important at the time. But we can take this time to refocus and start watching for Him to come back because it could happen at any moment. While we’re watching and waiting for Jesus, we should be telling other people about Him, so that they could be saved too.

#3 Be Ready.

Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
                                                               Matthew 24:44  

We don’t know when Jesus is coming back. It could be today, or it could be years from now. It doesn’t matter when it happens, just that we are ready for Him when He comes. What will He see when He gets here? Will He be pleased by how we are living our lives? Are there things that we need to change to make our lives acceptable to Him? These are the questions that I am asking myself today.

This blog post is about my heart and mind as much as it’s about yours. Today God hit me with a hard truth. Am I ready to see Jesus coming? What do I need to change in my life? I know that I need to be better prepared… to understand the Bible fully, to be ready to answer any question about my faith and to be watchful of His return. I pray that you will take the time to become prepared for Jesus to come back and that God will bless you greatly for it. Be well friends, and God bless you!

Summer Printables from Master’s Hand Collection

More Bible Studies from Master’s Hand Collection!