Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. ~ 1st Peter 4:12, 13
It occurred to me this morning that many of us are struggling. Some have lost jobs, some have lost businesses or homes, some have lost family members. It all seems so hard right now, but what I noticed today is that God is preparing us.
How many of us have prayed, asking God to prepare us for what lies ahead? We all expect things to get really hard, and in our prayer closet we cry out to God to make us ready. Well, what do we think that will look like? Boot camp prepares a soldier for the battlefield to which he's headed, and if it serves its purpose rightly, it's extremely hard. My son was on crutches when he graduated from boot camp, but I went to his drill sergeant and shook his hand, thanking him for making my son ready.
What do we think "preparation" looks like? It's extremely hard!
The word translated "tribulation" in Matthew 24 (in reference to the Great Tribulation) is thlipsis....the same word translated "persecution" elsewhere in the New Testament. If God is preparing us for tribulation/persecution -- at our request -- it won't be pleasant. How better to prepare someone for persecution than to take away something they care about? How better to prepare someone for deprivation than to deprive them of increasingly larger amounts?
The 3 great holy days in the Jewish calendar, when all males were to present themselves in Jerusalem, were Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Passover was fulfilled at the Crucifixion. Pentecost was fulfilled with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Isn't it logical that Tabernacles will be fulfilled when God's people once again have no permanent home and are fed daily by the very hand of God?
Rejoice in the preparation. Give thanks for the training. We are being made ready.
It occurred to me this morning that many of us are struggling. Some have lost jobs, some have lost businesses or homes, some have lost family members. It all seems so hard right now, but what I noticed today is that God is preparing us.
How many of us have prayed, asking God to prepare us for what lies ahead? We all expect things to get really hard, and in our prayer closet we cry out to God to make us ready. Well, what do we think that will look like? Boot camp prepares a soldier for the battlefield to which he's headed, and if it serves its purpose rightly, it's extremely hard. My son was on crutches when he graduated from boot camp, but I went to his drill sergeant and shook his hand, thanking him for making my son ready.
What do we think "preparation" looks like? It's extremely hard!
The word translated "tribulation" in Matthew 24 (in reference to the Great Tribulation) is thlipsis....the same word translated "persecution" elsewhere in the New Testament. If God is preparing us for tribulation/persecution -- at our request -- it won't be pleasant. How better to prepare someone for persecution than to take away something they care about? How better to prepare someone for deprivation than to deprive them of increasingly larger amounts?
The 3 great holy days in the Jewish calendar, when all males were to present themselves in Jerusalem, were Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Passover was fulfilled at the Crucifixion. Pentecost was fulfilled with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Isn't it logical that Tabernacles will be fulfilled when God's people once again have no permanent home and are fed daily by the very hand of God?
Rejoice in the preparation. Give thanks for the training. We are being made ready.