Ready

Every time I run, I go with my blonde running partner, Kip.

Kip is a 6-year old Mountain Cur. Though they're not very common in middle Tennessee, curs helped settle the Appalachian Mountains. They have one distinct purpose: to find and tree squirrels. Anything else that a "normal" dog would chase (deer, balls, cars) is ignored; squirrels are all they care about.

[Fun fact: a mountain cur is closely related to the breed of Ol' Yeller.]

For that reason, we haven't seen a squirrel in our yard in years. It's like he's created a barrier around our property and squirrels know not to enter. Though I'd be crazy to think there are no squirrels in the woods that literally surround my house, they are ready for him. They know he's there. They're not going to get close.

But when we run, it's a different story.

Today, we went four miles and saw probably 50 squirrels. Kip was in heaven. He chased and ran and barked at squirrels for 45 minutes straight. This is what he was made to do. He loves it. And he finally found some squirrels that weren't ready for him.

Squirrels aren't the only things that need to be ready:

"So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him," (Matthew 24:44).

"Remind the people...to be ready to do whatever is good," (Titus 3:1). 

"Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you," (1 Peter 3:15).

In each of those passages, the Greek word for ready also means "prepared." Being ready is much more than agreeing that you'll do something; it's also preparing to do that thing.

So we prepare for Jesus' return.
We prepare to do whatever is good.
We prepare to share our faith.

How? The same way the squirrels prepare: through knowledge.

The squirrels see Kip, hear him, know where he eats and sleeps and roams. I'm sure they smell him and listen for him at all times.

We do the same with God's Word.

We think about it. We read it. We study it, memorize it, apply it, and ask questions about the stuff we don't know. We learn about the Spirit through God's Word, and we realize that only in obedience can we really know Him. 

We allow His Word to change our minds, our hearts, and our way of living. We choose to trust His Word over our friends, our parents, our family, and even ourselves. 

God's Word makes us ready. Ready not only to be defensively prepared in our faith (Ephesians 6:13) but also offensively ready to share Jesus whenever and with whomever.

So as you get ready for each of your runs this week, let it remind you to be ready in Jesus' name!


Leslie Hudson