As a child, I learned the motto of the Girl Scouts - Be prepared. We know that being prepared means, don't we? It is the state of being ready, organized, and equipped. This truth of preparedness is taught in Scripture, exemplified by our Lord and one for which we should strive.
Look at these examples from Scripture.
Mary came to anoint Jesus before his death and burial. Mark 14:8
The disciples found the upper room already prepared for the Passover. Mark 14:15
Jesus had a meal prepared before the disciples came to shore. John 21:9
After the resurrection, the bewildered disciples heard that Jesus was already in Galilee. Matthew 28:7
In John 14:1 we read Jesus has gone ahead to prepare a place for us.
And in 1 Corinthians 2:9, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."
God is prepared. He has everything thought through, everything prepared. He doesn't make a new plan for each day. NO! He is always in advance of time. As we woke this morning, He had our day already ordered and planned from the beginning of time and was waiting for us to join Him.
He is there in the hours ahead, in tomorrow, and in eternity preparing the way for us. He will bring us to our appointed place and we will find our appointed resources along the way. As we follow, we discover His insight, His oversight, and His foresight. We might not see HIm, but as we walk by faith, we know He sees us, and we trust Him because we believe He is already there with everything prepared.
As I meditated and pondered this beautiful truth, I saw a few more encouraging things.
Preparedness is the teaching of the Parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25. Five were prepared to join the bridal party, five were not. 1 John 2:28 admonishes us to be prepared so we won't be "ashamed before him at his coming." The unprepared Virgins were ashamed. Let's not be likewise! He is coming soon, and we have a duty of preparedness.
Over the years, I have learned to ask God to prepare my heart for things ahead. I pray ahead of time when I anticipate facing resistance or fear. "Lord, prepare my heart and mind for what I am about to face. Give me your Spirit of wisdom, calmness, and foresight as You direct my words and reactions."
And, when I ponder the future, when I wonder how things will all work out, I pray, "Lord, I know you have my future prepared; that you are already there. Help me to entrust my future to you and live each day in faith keeping my focus on what you have given me to do today."
I have yet to see Him fail to answer my prayers for preparedness.
So, what about you? Are you prepared for today? Are you trusting and believing that the Lord is ahead of you, leading and preparing your life? Should He come today, are you ready? Or would you be ashamed?
In Ezra 7:10, Ezra "prepared his heart to seek the law." Other verses also teach us to prepare our hearts to obey, seek, trust, and hear what God says. Is your heart preparing? Are you prepared to meet your God?
2 Chronicles 27:6 says, "So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God."
Let's follow Ezra and Jotham's example and be prepared!
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