“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4:5-6
Are you ready for the coming of the LORD? The Scriptures assure us that His coming is at hand and could be at any time (cf. Matthew 24-25; Revelation 22:20). Will it be a joyful day for you, or a day of sorrow and sadness? How can you be ready for that day?
The Old Testament Prophet Malachi prophesied that the LORD would send Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the LORD, and that he would “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.”
We see the fulfillment of this prophecy in the New Testament, in the birth and ministry of John the Baptist (cf. Luke 1 & 3 Matthew 11). How did John prepare the people for the coming of the LORD? He preached “a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Mark 1:4) and called upon all, both young and old, to turn from their sins to the Lord for forgiveness and life in the Messiah, Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (cf. Luke 3 & John 1).
Are you ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus to judge the living and the dead? The way to be prepared is no different than in the days of John the Baptist. The way to be ready is to repent of your sinful ways and turn to the Lord Jesus for forgiveness and life for the sake of His holy life and innocent sufferings and death in your stead. Or, as Peter said on the day of Pentecost, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). In all your preparations to celebrate Christ’s first coming, don’t neglect to prepare for His return!
O dearest Jesus, You came into this world and gave Your life on the cross to bear the full punishment for my sins, and You rose again and ascended into heaven that I might turn to You for forgiveness and life and then follow after You and live for You until Your glorious advent to judge the living and the dead and take all who have placed their hope in You to reign with You in Your glorious heavenly kingdom. I know that I have sinned against You and have gone my own way. Graciously forgive my sins and create in me a new heart that trusts in You, loves You, and seeks to honor and glorify Your name by living for You. Make me ready for that day when You appear in the clouds of glory with all Your holy angels, and grant me a place in Your eternal kingdom. I ask this for the sake of Your blood, shed for me upon the cross. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.