Suppose someone were to come running up to you right now and say, “It’s the end of the world!” How would you feel?
One girl said to me once, “I want Jesus to come, but I wish I knew I was ready.”
And this problem, I’ve noticed, is one that bothers many young people. How can we be sure we are ready for Jesus to come?
The first thing to remember is that Jesus wants to save us.
You may have been told that God is keeping a record in heaven so that in the judgment He can reveal who truly belongs to Him or who doesn’t. Now, it is true He is keeping a record. But He is keeping it so that someday He can point to it and say, “The record proves that this boy or girl gave his life to Me. He asked Me to forgive his sins. He is Mine, and no one can take him from Me. He shall live with Me forever.”
We know Jesus wants us in heaven, because He said so many times. He prayed to His Father, “I desire that these … may be with Me where I am.” He said to the people in Jericho, “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” To the crowds who gathered to hear Him preach He said, “Come to Me, all of you.” John 17:24, NEB; Luke 19:10; Matthew 11:28. Jesus want to save us.
Another thing to remember is that when we ask God to forgive our sins, He forgives us. He doesn’t hold our sins against us anymore. We don’t need to be afraid that when Jesus comes He will hold up a long list of the sins we have repented of and tell us we can’t go to heaven. He has promised that if we repent and confess, He will be “faithful … to forgive.” 1 John 1:9. God keeps His promises. He forgives our sins and writes “pardon” next to our name in the books of heaven. He says, “I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:34
Well, now, if Jesus wants to save you, and if you have asked Him to forgive your sins, your record is clear. Why be worried and fearful about His coming? Look forward to His return with joy. Spend time every day reading about Him in the Bible so that you won’t get careless, talk to God often in prayer, and start planning now for the happy, joyful times you’ll have in heaven.
But perhaps you have never given your life to God. You have done things that were wrong and have not asked God to forgive you. In that case you ought to be worried, for the Bible makes it very plain that everyone who has not made things right with God will die when Jesus comes. They will be destroyed, Paul wrote, “with the brightness of His coming.”
It may be a struggle to admit you have been doing wrong. You may have to cancel some of your plans. You may have to break habits you cherish. You may have to give up things you enjoy doing. Some young people find this the hardest battle of their lives. They would rather do anything else than come to God and say, “I have been wrong. Please forgive me.”
Yet this is the best decision anyone ever made! If you have never surrendered your life to God, do so now. God is calling you. Stop for a minute and think of how kind Jesus was to come to earth to die for you. Remember the wonderful things He has promised to do for you in the future. Think how much you will lose if you reject His invitation.
Now bow your head and say,
“Dear God, forgive me for my sins. Help me to live like Jesus and be ready for Him to come.”
God will hear your prayer—and He will make sure you are ready when Jesus comes.
40 Favorite Children’s Stories, Lawrence Maxwell, ©2009, 129, 130