Frances Ridley Havergal :: All Things Are Ready

THIRD DAY - ALL THINGS ARE READY.

"Come; for all things are now ready."

All things! God the Father is ready to save you. Jesus Christ is ready to receive you. The Holy Spirit (Rom 8:9) is ready to dwell in you. Are you ready?

All things. The 'great salvation' is ready for you. The full atonement is made for you. The eternal redemption is obtained for you. Are you ready?

All things. The cleansing fountain (Rom 3:22) is opened for you. The robe of righteousness is wrought for you. The way (Hbr 10:19-20) into the holiest is consecrated for you. Are you ready?

All things. All things that pertain unto life and godliness are given you by His Divine power. (2Pe 1:3-4) Exceeding great and precious promises are given you. The supply of all your need is guaranteed to you. Strength and guidance, teaching and keeping, are provided for you. Even the good works in which you shall walk are prepared (Act 22:10) for you. A Father's love and care and a Saviour's gift of peace are waiting for you. The feast is spread for you. All these things are ready (Mat 22:4) for you. Are you ready for them?

Even if you did not heed nor believe any other words of Jesus, could you-can you-doubt His dying words? Surely they are worthy of all acceptation! (1Ti 1:15) What are they?

"IT IS FINISHED!"

What is finished? 'I have finished the work that Thou gavest Me to do.' And what is that work? Simply the work of our salvation. (1Jo 4:14) That is the reason why all things are now ready, because Jesus has finished that all-inclusive work. When a thing is finished, how much is there left to do? The question sounds too absurd with respect to ordinary things. We hardly take the trouble to answer, 'Why, nothing, of course!' When Jesus has finished the work how much is there left for you to do? Do you not see? Nothing, of course! You have only to accept (Act 16:30-31) that work as really finished, and accept His dying declaration that it is so. What further assurance would you have? Is not this enough? Does your heart say Yes, or No?

'Do ye now believe?' (Jhn 16:31) Settle that; and then what follows? Hear another word of the Faithful Witness. Remember, it is no less true than the other. The holy Lips that spoke that grand truth on the cross spoke nothing that could deceive or mislead. 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.' What does this mean? Just what it says, and nothing less! It means that even if you never believed before-even if you never had a spark of faith or glimmer of hope before-yet if you have now given your heart-assent to Jesus and His finished work, you have now everlasting life! (Jhn 3:16) That heart-assent is believing; and 'he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.' And this 'believing' (Jhn 6:35) is 'coming;' and thus coming you shall find for yourself that all things are indeed ready.

What now? Shall praise be the only thing not ready? Will you not now prove your acceptance of the great gift (2Co 9:15) of eternal life by pouring out your thanks at once for it, and prove your trust in the finished work by praising (Psa 9:1) the Saviour who died to finish it for you? (Rev 5:9-12)

From the cross uplifted high,
Where the Saviour deigns to die,
What melodious sounds I hear,
Bursting on my ravished ear!
Love's redeeming work is done;
Come, and welcome! sinner, come!

Spread for thee the festal board,
See with richest dainties stored;
To thy Father's bosom pressed,
Yet again a child confessed,
Never from His house to roam;
Come, and welcome! sinner, come!

Thomas Haweis