God Always Prepares

 

    We all have a calling from God.  It is probably something that we don't feel qualified to do, but God never leaves you.  He doesn't just send you out into the world alone.  He gets you ready.  He takes every step with you to prepare you and help make you strong for what you are going to face.

    John the Baptist knew his calling in his mother's womb. He knew Jesus before either of them were born.  He had an unique and special calling that God began preparing him for before he could survive outside of his mother.  John was only a few months older than Jesus, but began his ministry much younger.  He had to because he was preparing the way for Jesus to reveal himself to the world.

    John had parents that were devout to God, so they helped prepare his way.  They probably knew and understood his calling and chose to be supportive.  None of them knew how it would end for John, but it had to be dramatic and final to really put the spot light on Jesus.  That does not mean that it was something Jesus wanted to happen to his cousin. 

    There are certain characteristics that we have to go through while God prepares us for the world.  Disappointment is one characteristic.  You have to be ready to disappoint people because everyone has an opinion on how other people should live.  You have to be willing to disappoint them to stay true to God.  

    You have to face your disappointments in life.  John's parents didn't think they would ever have children and it hurt, but they did not abandon God.  God rewarded their faithfulness with a special child.  We all make plans and have a vision for our lives, but not all of us are willing to change them to be in step with God.

    You may face disappointment in your prayer life.  If your heart is not aligned with God, then it is easy to think that He is not listening.  His time table is not the same as yours.  He is working for your good.  If you are willing to wait, then you will be rewarded.  If you are impatient, then you will miss out on blessings, get a stigma, and be deprived of what would have been.  

    Another characteristic of God preparing you is trust.  You have to trust God faithfully.  Trusting God is not in theory, but in all the details of your life.  God uses your growing trust to prepare you to face anything in your life and not fall apart.  If you do not trust God, then you will loose your vision that He has put in you.  Sometimes you just have to trust that God's grace is enough.  

    Trusting God is built in repetitive behavior: prayer, in God's Word, meditation, and devotion.  It builds resilience where you bounce back quicker when you get knocked down.  It it built in the training ground while walking with God.  Life event will force you to face what you believe to really decide if you believe it and why.  That is important aspect of growing in your faith.  Without it you will never mature.

Proverbs 16:9, Luke 1:5-17, John 19:38-42, Romans 8:18-25, 2 Corinthians 12:5-10, & Ephesians 2:8-10