I am so thankful to be able to say, as I write this, that I am 38 weeks pregnant. My husband and I experienced two miscarriages, so this pregnancy has been such a blessing and a joy Now that I am so far along, I know that at any time this little one could make his appearance. I have been busy working extra hard to keep the house clean, to stay on top of the laundry and we have our bags packed and extra food is in the house. I do not know the date or the time he will come, just that he is coming.

This sense of anticipation got me thinking about someone else who is coming at any time that we must prepare for: our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Are we Christians ready for Christ to return?  Do we have joy and excitement knowing that He could be here any moment just like my little baby?

I can make so many connections to getting ready for the baby and how we should share the same excitement for the return of Christ. We long for God's Kingdom to be here on the earth with its accompanying peace. This world, as it is now, can be a terrible place. We have comfort knowing one day the Kingdom of God will rule and creation will be at peace.

Are we equally as excited to see Christ? Are we doing the work it takes to make ourselves worthy of being His bride? God tells us through His word, “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7). We must be getting ready.  We cannot wait until the last minute to start working on ourselves, just like I could not wait to the last minute to prepare for this baby.

How good are you at waiting?

Waiting develops patience. As it just so happens, patience is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). We must keep “patient endurance” (Revelation 14:12, New International Version). This patient endurance is a requirement for the people of God—those who keep His commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

We have to have patience and not give up. We must keep our focus on Christ’s return and not let this world get us down. We must remain excited about His arrival. When we lose our excitement, we can let our guard down and we can start to slip into old behaviors and pull away from God. We must stand firm, and not forget what we are waiting for each day (James 5:8).

So as we wait for Christ to return, pray that God will give us strength. As I wait for my son, I will ask God to help me endure until the return of His Son. I want to be even more excited about His return and the opportunity to be His bride. May He strengthen our hearts so that we will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones (1 Thessalonians 3:13).

I do not know when this little baby will arrive, but I know I am working hard to be ready. We need to work even harder for the return of Christ; to be ready. He is coming. We do not know when that is, but we must always be ready!

To understand the events leading up to Christ’s return, read our free study guide, "Are We Living in the Time of the End?"