In the stillness of the night, a piercing sound shattered the tranquility. Jolted from a deep sleep, my heart pounded as the relentless beeping echoed through the house. Groggy and disoriented, I stumbled out of bed, fumbling for the light switch. My first thought was that the security alarm had gone off, but its indicators looked fine. Yet, the beeping continued. After a moment of confusion, it became clear that the culprit was a smoke detector's low battery—but which one? Unprepared for such an interruption in the middle of the night, I scrambled to locate the source of the sound. Finding it brought only a fleeting moment of relief—I realized we might not have the right replacement battery. Defeated, my wife found earplugs while I tossed and turned until daylight allowed us to finally acquire the right battery and stop the maddening beeping.

With peace and sanity restored, I took a moment to reflect on the importance of being prepared. In life's busyness, I'd missed the early signs—the smoke detector’s steady green light had turned into a sporadic, blinking yellow. When the relentless beeping finally came, I found myself without the right replacement battery. Fortunately, the consequences weren't too severe—just some sleep deprivation and an unexpected trip to buy batteries.

I continued to ponder the importance of being spiritually prepared. The Bible offers numerous signs of Jesus' return, urging believers to remain vigilant. In Matthew 24:7, Jesus says, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places," signaling global unrest and natural disasters as precursors. Additionally, 2 Timothy 3:1-5 highlights societal changes: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive..." These signs remind Christians to stay spiritually prepared, always watching and waiting for Christ's imminent return.

The Bible also teaches us many ways to prepare for Christ’s return, and here are three of my favorites. First, strive to be more like Christ: "All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure" (1 John 3:3). By daily seeking to emulate His love, compassion, humility, and purity, we pursue becoming more like Him before we see Him. Second, be prepared to endure suffering: "But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved" (Matthew 24:13). Holding onto our faith in His sovereignty and goodness, we remain steadfast regardless of any suffering or persecutions that may come our way. Lastly, faithfully carry out what He has entrusted to us: "It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns" (Luke 12:43). By diligently serving others and fulfilling our callings, we actively participate in God's work, making a difference in the world.
You may or may not encounter beeping smoke alarms, but Christ’s return is certain. I pray that we will all be prepared and ready.