I value preparation! How about you? Am I a ‘control freak?’ Perhaps, but life works best for me when things are in order, when I have the sense that there are plans and preparations. As I awakened this morning with a prayer for the week on my lips, the Spirit whispered to me His assurance that He has already made preparations for my every need. Yes, nothing hidden over the horizon of my life’s timeline will catch God by surprise. There are resources readied for me, grace plenty available, and strength for the journey.
The story of Jonah is about a man who refused the call of God. He took a ship in the very opposite direction. The Lord sent a storm to grab the errant preacher’s attention. Recognizing that he was the cause, Jonah asked to be thrown overboard. And, even there, we learn of God’s mercy! "Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. " (Jonah 1:17, KJV) He found himself in awe of God’s plans and had a moment of transformation! “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD.” (Jonah 2:7-9, NIV)
On the cusp of this new week, you may be wrestling with real
challenges, facing some pain, trying to work through heartache. You may feel
the uncertainty of our times in a way that brings anxiety. You may wonder what
the future holds if … God promises that
He has already made preparations! His promise stretches into eternity.
Jesus,
on the night before His crucifixion, sat with His friends over dinner and talked
of their future. He assures them of God’s care. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust
in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not
so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for
you." (John 14:1-2, NIV)
He also told them of the gift of the Spirit that was prepared for them. "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:16-17, NIV)
When we choose to live in God’s provision, we discover a quiet strength for life. IF we are kicking and screaming about life, if we are cussing and complaining about our situation, we reveal a failure of faith, a refusal to accept what His has prepared for us. I know how easy it is to slip into a default mode of complaint. The coffee is not brewed correctly. We read our spouse’s face as critical. Our boss becomes an idiot. That driver in front of us needs to step on it. IF we allow ourselves to complain, Self consumes us and we become less aware of God’s Presence and provision.
The people of Israel, during the Exodus, had their every
need fully provided for by the LORD, and yet, for them there was not enough, no
contentment. Forgetting the plight
of slavery they griped about missing the food of Egypt, despite miracle manna
that showed up each morning! Their endless griping eventually caused them to
reject God’s invitation into the Promised Land. The whole generation that left
Egypt ended up dying in the wilderness, living far beneath the perfect plan of
God!
Paul, who might have understandably complained about the difficulties of his life, choose faith. His practical counsel is that we choose to "Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! … Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse." (Philippians 4:4,8, The Message)
Our Lord does not ask us to become dishonest or to deny the reality of a broken world but He does invite us to be aware of His Presence. He says that He is at work, to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Eph 3:20) and that is a source of security and stability in a crazy, mixed up world, isn’t it?
Here’s the word from the Word. "For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10, NIV)
__________
(Let this song move you to worship and praise for God’s preparations)
You are here moving in our midst
I worship You I worship You
You are here working in this place
I worship You I worship You
Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper,
Light in the darkness, my God that is who You are
You are here touching ev'ry heart
I worship You I worship You
You are here healing ev'ry heart
I worship You I worship You
You are here turning lives around
I worship You I worship You
You are here mending ev'ry heart
I worship You yeah I worship You Lord
That is who You are
That is who You are
That is who You are
That is who You are
Even when I don't see it You're working
Even when I don't feel it You're working
You never stop You never stop working
You never stop You never stop working
Osinachi Kalu Okoro Egbu
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