People Get Ready

There ain't no room

For the hopeless sinner
Who would hurt all mankind just
To save his own
Have pity on those
Whose chances are thinner
Cause there's no hiding place
From the Kingdom's Throne

Lyrics by Curtis Mayfield

I was listening to a song by Curtis Mayfield called People Get Ready.  This song has been recorded by various artists over the years. I love the meaning behind the song. It is a redemption song about being ready.  Will we be ready when we hear the diesels humming and the train pulls into the station?

There is a parable that discusses being ready.  The Parable of the Wedding Feast is a great example of what it means to be ready.  In Matthew 22 Jesus tells the story of a king who arranged a marriage for his son.  The King is God and the Son is Jesus.  He has prepared a wedding feast for everyone who loves the Lord and all are invited to come to the feast.  Those who are ready are the bride of Christ.  The problem is there are a lot of people who are not willing to come or are too busy to come to the feast.  Many who were invited ignored the invitation and seized His servants, treated them spitefully and killed them.  The King hearing about it was furious and sent out his armies and destroyed those who killed His servants. Then He said to His servants, (those who believe in Him), the wedding is ready but those who were invited were not worthy, so go out and invite as many as you can find.  The hall was filled with guests and when the king came out he saw one who did not have on a wedding garment so He cast him into outer darkness.  For many are called, but few are chosen.

So the question is, “will we be ready when the train pulls into the station?”  Will we be left standing on the platform when the train pulls away from the station? We don’t need luggage or the things we’ve accumulated here on earth.  We need faith in Him.  We need to accept Him as our Lord and Savior.     

Will we be that person who boards the train and as God walks down the aisle making sure everyone onboard is qualified to be there, will He step up to our seat and see that we don’t have on our wedding garment? Will we be the one he sends to outer darkness and leaves standing on the platform as the train pulls away?

God gives each of us the opportunity.  No one is excluded from getting on the train unless we are not prepared.  He’s promised us He is coming again.  Will you be ready?

Prayer for the Day: Jesus, you are the bridegroom and if we want to be, we can be part of the wedding party.  The invitation is open to anyone to accept but we must be prepared.  I want to get on that train and bring others with me.  Help me to invite all to come to the wedding feast.  I praise You for inviting me to come and be part of the wedding feast. 

   

Scripture:  The Parable of the Wedding Feast

And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.  So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

“For many are called, but few are chosen.”  Matthew 22:1-14

People get ready
There's a train a-coming
You don't need no baggage
You just get on board
All you need is faith
To hear the diesels humming
Don't need no ticket
You just thank the Lord

People get ready
For the train to Jordan
Picking up passengers
From coast to coast
Faith is the key
Open the doors and board them
There's room for all
Among the loved the most

There ain't no room
For the hopeless sinner
Who would hurt all mankind just
To save his own
Have pity on those
Whose chances are thinner
Cause there's no hiding place
From the Kingdom's Throne

So people get ready
For the train a-comin'
You don't need no baggage
You just get on board
All you need is faith
To hear the diesels humming
Don't need no ticket
You just thank, you just thank the Lord

Lyrics by Curtis Mayfield