The Wonderful Thing

As human beings, while we can be spontaneous, we will often spend hours, days, months or even years preparing for those big events in our lives. College for example is years of preparation for our future career, you plan months for your wedding, and spend hours preparing a paper. If you were going to run a marathon you would spend 4 months preparing for a race that lasts approximately 4 hours of 1 day. Four months preparing for something that lasts 1 day! How much more then should we be preparing for eternity? It is rather daunting when you think about it. Do we even have enough time to adequately prepare then?! The answer is no. We can and should be preparing, every moment of every day, but we are humans and therefor we are sinners. Alone we just don't have it in us to ever prepare enough for what is ahead. Thankfully we are not alone! Can I get an Amen? Billy Graham was once asked if he had only 3 years left on earth to minister, how would he spend his time? When I first heard the question I was certain that he would choose to go out and reach as many people as he possibly could in those 3 years. Instead he replied, "I would prepare for 2 and minister for 1." Preparation is what brings us closer to the Lord, it is how we learn to discern His will for us, to hear His voice, making sure that we are not acting on our own impulses, but His.

So how exactly do we prepare? The most important, taken from the sermon in church yesterday, is getting into the Word. I think we forget how important the Bible is, how powerful the words of God are. Hebrews 4:12 says it all:

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

The word needs to be active inside of us, playing a role in our lives. Derek Prince once said that, "Your attitude towards God's word is your attitude towards God himself," and I would have to agree with that. We live in the United States of America, there are more Bibles than people, yet how often do we pick it up off the bookshelf and begin to read? We need to uncover what God has for us, to digest it, think, meditate, and pray on it. Only then are we going to begin to truly know the heart of God, to feel that He is active and alive in us. Our pastor yesterday challenged us to get into the word in the morning and to read until we discover our W.T. for the day. One Wonderful Thing that we read that morning that had an impact on us. We need to keep that in our hearts for the remainder of the day. What better to have God's word to meditate on from the time you get up in the morning until you fall asleep that night? The second thing that we should be doing to prepare is prayer. Prayer is your plow. Get down on your knees and come before God. Let him go before you and prepare the path ahead.

It amazes me how the Lord operates. My ideas for this post came from both the R.A. retreat that I went on this weekend (which was amazing), and the sermon I heard in church yesterday. Together they made some great points and allowed a new post to be created. Lately the creative juices have been flowing like Niagara Falls. Every time I get an idea that I don't want to use right away I put it in a Word document for later use. Right now I have so many that I don't think I am going to get around to using all of them. I take ideas from throughout my day, lectures or sermons that I have heard, conversations with friends and family, and of course verses from God's word that I have read. I should compile everything and write a devotional some day. Lord willing, maybe I will. It would be quite a scatterbrained devotional though since my ideas jump all over the place.

So this weekend was quite a weekend. I had some great times with some amazing friends. It is sad that each weekend is drawing closer to the end of the year. I do not want this year to end! I don't even know what I did this weekend, but it was not school work. I got to know my amazing R.A. staff (Next year is going to rock!), went out for for Di's 22 birthday, did a lot of running, played some racquetball and dutch blitz, and soaked up the sun. The weekends here only get better with each passing week. The difference between this year and last is still baffling. Which ultimately brings me to my W.T. for the day:

"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.
The statues of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are trustworthy, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the Lord are sure, and are altogether righteous."
-Psalm 19:7-9

When it comes down to it, the Lord knows best. Giving Him your heart, placing all of your reliance upon him that is what revives, makes wise, gives joy and light, what endures, and what is righteous. What is your W.T. for the day?