‘Make this valley full of ditches.’ 2 Kings 3:16 NKJV
All things don’t come to those who wait but to those who prepare. There is a great illustration of this in 2 Kings 3. As part of God’s strategy for defeating the Moabites, God told the Israelites to dig a ditch, and He would fill it with water until it became a mighty river. They did, and as a result, they experienced a spectacular victory. But don’t miss the point here. God said, ‘When you have dug the ditch, then I will fill it!’ (see 2 Kings 3:17).
God can use anybody, but He doesn’t; He uses prepared people. Moses lived to be 120. His first forty years were spent in a palace, his second forty years were spent in a wilderness, and his last forty years were spent fulfilling his God-given assignment. That’s two-thirds of his life in preparation!
What happens when you’re not prepared? Things you hope won’t happen, do. Often, the dividing line between winning and losing is preparation! Wishing won’t make your dream come true—you have to prepare yourself! Paul’s ministry begins with the words, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ (Acts 9:6 NKJV) Whereupon, God takes him into the desert for the next three years to teach him and prepare him for his ministry. Whether your vocation is sacred or secular, you have to know what it will cost in terms of time, effort, and resources and prepare for it. ‘Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established.’ (Proverbs 24:3 NKJV) So, the word for today is—prepare yourself.
SoulFood: Ex 20:14, Prov 6:23–35, Mt 5:27–30, 1 Cor 6:9–20
Renungan Hari Ini [The Word for Today] is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©