Day 8. Eight, a number for new beginnings, so we begin a new week for Advent 2016. We light another candle. It is purple and it is called the Candle of Preparation or the Bethlehem Candle.
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are too small to be among the army groups from Judah, from you will come One who will rule Israel for me. He comes from very old times, from days long ago.” Micah 5:2 NCV.
Is your heart prepared to become a manger for Jesus? I know my heart and my life is messy. At times it even smells of stale hay. I find my spiritual life becomes like stagnant waters. Stagnant water is a breeding ground for mosquitos that transmit dangerous diseases. The stale waters are characterized by lack of advancement in my spiritual life. Jesus comes to stir them up and remove the foul stench. He skips a rock across my stagnant water and ripples awaken my soul.
This is called a season of preparation and its uncomfortable. It takes time to clean out my stagnant pond. I’m the type who like to tell the Lord, “I’m ready now. Let’s do this thing. You really don’t have to prepare me for the mission. Let’s just wing this thing and I’ll learn along the way.” The word prepare means to make something ready for use or for some activity. I would prefer to forgo preparation because that means the Lord needs to mold me, reshape me, knead the clay and form me into a vessel that is worthy of housing His Spirit.
Today I light the Candle of Preparation. I let the words stumble out of me, “Prepare me Lord for Your mission. I feel insignificant and of no consequence but You Lord take small things and birth new beginnings. You Son was born in Bethlehem, a small village in Judah, but out of Bethlehem came the Great King.”
Are you in a season of preparation?
Are you waiting for God to act in a certain situation in your life?
What are you doing while God is preparing you?
Do you believe God will never waste preparation periods?
What is God preparing you to do?
What are you struggling with in this season?
Do you feel like you are stagnant in your walk with the Lord?
Ask God to skip His Rock across your life.
We are one day 8 in the book “Through Their Eyes”. Don’t forget to light another purple candle and ask God to prepare your heart to become His manger.
I know for me the hardest part is the waiting, but it is also the time the Lord rearranges me, he knocks off all the hard edges and smoothes me out. He shows me glimpses of His path so I will know which way to go…….but that’s only if I wait patiently for His direction. More often than not I don’t wait and I go the direction I think the Lord should take me and when I do I miss out on the blessing He had in store for me. Father let me rest in Your shadow and wait for Your direction then and only then will I experience You to Your fullest.
That is so good