The Time for Preparation:
At times, life seems cruel and unforgiving. The happiness of a few days dries quickly like the morning dew, while the harshness of reality stares us in the face like the noon-day sun, scorching our skin.
Ecclesiastes 1:2-3 (CEV)
“Nothing makes sense! Everything is nonsense. I have seen it all—nothing makes sense! What is there to show for all of our hard work here on this earth?”
Like the burdened Israelites suffering under Pharaoh, we cry out day and night for an end to our struggle. Sometimes, we simply grow numb; we get used to the difficulty and begin to settle for minuscule pleasures. We convince ourselves that this is our fate and there is no escape.
Ecclesiastes 3:9 (CEV)
“What do we gain by all our hard work?”
For 400 years, the Israelites lived under Egyptian rule—generation after generation. Grandfathers, fathers, and sons heard stories of torture and death, witnessing them all around. It was slavery of the highest order. Their emotions only stirred with a full stomach or a cup of wine; their only adrenaline came from the cruelty and hatred of their neighbors.
Ecclesiastes 4:2-3 (CEV)
“I said to myself, ‘The dead are better off than the living. But those who have never been born are better off than anyone else, because they have never seen the terrible things that happen on this earth.’”
In today’s uncertain world, we are no different than those Israelites. We rarely see morality or righteous living in our leaders. Instead, we see the wicked thrive while people cheat and deceive one another.
Ecclesiastes 4:1 (CEV)
“I looked again and saw people being mistreated everywhere on earth. They were crying, but no one was there to offer comfort, and those who mistreated them were powerful.”
Our souls mourn, our hopes falter, and our dreams seem to fail. Help does not seem to come quickly, and our deepest questions go unanswered. Teachers are despised, and leaders are mocked. Holding onto the Christian faith feels like an uphill battle. Our children are growing up in households filled with quarrel, with few to draw them toward Christ. Even churches are compromising; willful sinners enter and leave without conviction, often celebrated merely for the offerings they bring.
Where is God?
Where are the righteous zealots, like Phinehas? Where are the prophets and the teachers?
Why am I compromising? Why am I foolish and rebellious? Why does my flesh still rule, rather than being crucified and buried forever? Why am I dry when it comes to true love and brotherhood?
The one certainty in life is that this world brings trouble and suffering. There is no exception for the faithful children of God. In fact, suffering is even more certain if you are called and elected.
Ecclesiastes 8:10-13 (CEV)
“…None of this makes sense. When we see criminals commit crime after crime without being punished, it makes us want to start a life of crime… but no one who sins and rejects God will prosper or live very long.”
The Path is Narrow
There is only one path, and it is truly narrow. One must prepare for adversity, or they are sure to fall by the wayside.
This is the time to prepare. The world order is changing rapidly, and soon, trouble may reach our very doorsteps. Some of us are already in exile.
Preparation is never easy—whether it’s for a simple class test, a life-changing exam, or a dream job interview. Intelligent people prepare beforehand to gain an edge. So, how do we prepare for the Lord’s work?
- By systematically studying the Word of God.
- By praying without ceasing.
- By living in total obedience to His commands.
- We must draw our strength from the true wine. We must abide in Him.
Be sure of one thing:
Psalm 34:18 (CEV)
“The Lord is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope.”
We must submit ourselves to God, letting the Potter have His way with the clay.
Yielding to the Potter
Romans 9:21 (CEV)
“Doesn’t a potter have the right to make a fancy bowl and a plain bowl out of the same lump of clay?”
Submission is difficult because of our rebellious nature. We often echo the stubbornness found in Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 18:12 (CEV)
“We don’t care what you say. We have made plans to sin, and we are going to be stubborn and do as we please!”
May we instead submit to God so that He can mold and prepare us. He has a unique pattern of preparation. He is like a Coach or a Teacher, involving Himself in our daily lives. He creates circumstances to help us learn, and He mentors us when we seek Him with our questions. When we fall a thousand times, He does not lose hope. He works tirelessly to perfect us.
Even for someone like me—slow to learn and stubborn—God is patient.
Do Not Waste the Wilderness
Now is the time for preparation. Do not waste it on mindless entertainment or “minuscule pleasures” like the Israelites did. Many who entered the wilderness unprepared died there. Some spent their entire lives hearing of the Promised Land but were never able to enter it.
Beware: this is not the time for wasting; it is the time for warring.
Do not be careless, if your household is drifting away from God. Call on Him day and night. This is a season of mercy—make use of it. Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you. Nothing in this world can save you eternally except Jesus Christ. He is waiting, and He is coming soon.
May we be found in Him.
Lord, prepare me.
Amen.
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Voiceofgod 
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