I spend most of my life in some form of becoming ready, or being ready. I want to be ready as a man, husband, father, grandfather, CEO, and pastor. But MOST OF ALL, I want to be ready for GOD.
If we are spiritually weak and unprepared to face the challenges of life when they hit our shore, we’re LATE.
We may think we’re prepared for our next challenge. But when it arrives, we often discover that there is much less spiritual strength to summon than we thought.
It’s just like the scene I saw a couple of months back on the Kentucky Derby broadcast when a horse sprinted around the final turn trying to call up the extra bolt of power needed to hit the finish line first. It was not there.
Early in my own faith walk I fell into the trap of thinking I was ready for ANYTHING that came my way. I was thinking: “Hey I go to church and pray and have some spiritual rhythm going right now—bring it on!”
In every case I was “less ready” than I thought I was–or should have been–to respond in a Christ-like manner when bad news or a crisis arrived.
Being early is just another way of saying being ready. If we’re ready, we’re early. And being early means we have God’s Word hidden in our heart.
“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11
Being EARLY is directly correlative to how much nourishment we are receiving from God’s Word. How much we are paying attention to what he is telling us. And how intimate our relationship is with Jesus.
I ask God to prepare me for the challenges in life by drawing me closer to him and his Word right now. I want to be ready to face stormy weather with power from displaying the fruits of his spirit in the way I live (Gal 5:22-23) and protection that comes from his sturdy armor (Eph 6:10-18).
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
TAKE THE EARLY/LATE TEST: Is your spiritual readiness in place NOW–in advance of life’s turbulence?
“I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8
