Busy Until He Comes

“Let your loins be girded about, and [your] lights burning;” (Lu 12:35 AV)

The next verse speaks of a groom’s attendants waiting at the wedding chamber for the groom and his new bride.  The chamber has been prepared.  The servants await the arrival of the groom and his bride, that they might wait upon them.  The loins that are girded are the robes tied up and out of the way so that service would be unencumbered.  The lights burning are the source of illuminating revelation of that which remained to be done.  In other words, the verse above is not intended to encourage the servant to stay up late and be ready to flee to the LORD when He comes back the second time.  Rather, it is a statement of enthusiastic and ready service for the LORD in anticipation of His return.

This instruction is obviously meant for Israel.  When Christ returns with His new bride, the church, they are to be ready to receive us.  But the principle applies to all of God’s people.  We are not to wait and do nothing until Christ returns.  Many believe His return is very soon.  It may very well be.  We cannot imagine a world that is much worse than this present world.  Never since the time of Noah has the whole world spoken as one against the God of all creation.  Never before has the entire world come out as an enemy of God.  Never before has the whole world sought means by which the people of God are persecuted.  There is a concerted effort to eliminate God from His creation.  Wickedness prevails at every turn.  No doubt, the return of Christ is nearer than it has ever been.  This might entice the believer to sit idle and wait.  The times in which we live might bring about a spirit of discouragement, leading to unprofitableness.  The darkness that envelops the world may lead to most becoming hopeless, thinking further service to God is futile.  We are gazing at the wrong thing.  Rather than seeking the surrounding darkness, we need to focus on the arrival of the bridegroom!

My wife, bless her heart, has a near melt down prior to her parents or our children coming for a visit.  Suddenly, the house is a complete disaster.  From top to bottom, there isn’t a thing right.  It is all wrong.  Room by room she goes.  Cleaning, straightening, scrubbing, mopping, etc.  When said room is perfect, it is closed and sealed until the day of our company’s arrival.  It is guarded more securely than Fort Knox.  First her office.  Then the walk-in closet.  Then the spare bedroom.  The bathroom received a thorough going through.  Things that had not been cleaned in ages are like new.  Downstairs is next.  Livingroom, dining room, and kitchen all get the treatment.  No more eating until the guests arrive.  All meals are out.  No more shoes in the house, feet on the furniture, or anything left out.  Even the dog is on edge!  By the time she is finished, she is on her last nerve.  Everything has to be perfect.  This is the meaning of the verse above.  We are not to sit idly and wait for the coming of the LORD.  We are to be beside ourselves, making ready for the arrival of the greatest guest of honor there will ever be!  Our loins are to be girded and our lamps trimmed for the LORD could return at any moment.