Prepare to Meet Thy God

We know that we are all to be prepared for Christ’s return and live our lives with this in mind. We are to be ready for this climactic event by what we say, think, and do. If we are in Christ and live for Him, then we will be prepared to meet Him one grand Day!

Years ago, I was about to leave a meeting. A few of us were standing around and discussing serious and sobering matters and (as I recall) one the men said that he had heard a song about preparing to meet the Lord. We all turned to our nearby songbooks and found the song entitled, “Prepare to Meet Thy God.”

The few of us there sung with all of our hearts the solemn words of this utterly-serious and somber song. Every line seemed to reach into our hearts and warn us of the upcoming but utterly-true eventuality. (This was a song by James Henry Stanley. Regardless of his theology, we find his words to be touching. By the way, the words are taken from Amos 4:12.) See if these words affect you in the way that it did me:

Prepare to Meet Thy God

1 Careless soul, why will you linger,
Wand’ring from the fold of God?
Hear you not the invitation?
Oh, prepare to meet thy God.

Refrain:

Careless soul, oh, heed the warning,
For your life will soon be gone;
Oh, how sad to face the judgment,
Unprepared to meet thy God.

[We direct these words to the “careless soul” that would hear and we urge him or her to “prepare” to meet God. This person needs to repent and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus!  How our lives are like a “vapor” that will soon vanish away but God gives us the ability to come to Him for His cleansing now!]

2 Why so thoughtless are you standing,
While the fleeting years go by,
And your life is spent in folly?
Oh, prepare to meet thy God. [Refrain]

[As the years go by—and they always do—people spend these few remaining years in “folly”! We refer to the foolishness with which most people live. Instead, now we must prepare to meet God!]

3 Hear you not the earnest pleadings
Of your friends that wish you well?
And perhaps before tomorrow
You’ll be called to meet your God. [Refrain]

[It may be that we are required to meet God before the day is out. At least, very soon we must be ready to see the Lord and give an account. Thus, let us repent now!]

4 If you spurn the invitation
Till the Spirit shall depart,
Then you’ll see your sad condition,
Unprepared to meet thy God. [Refrain]

[This final plea is given to the listener to this song. If we turn away from these pleadings, are we really ready to meet God? Let us listen with care, with discernment, with receptivity. Let us prepare! Let us prepare to meet God!]