Preparations

 I’m not artsy, crafty, coordinated, or athletic. I know this. I overthink, get distracted, and say totally random things. I know this too. Over the past few days, weeks, and months, I have heard comments that what I write shows vulnerability. Maybe that means that I overshare. But what I’m about to write is most certainly oversharing and I will be embarrassed after I post it. 

I’m not creative, but I can come up with some crazy solutions to problems. Early in our marriage, my parents were visiting. My daddy said I was a creative cook. That means that I put some strange combinations together based on whatever was in the pantry. One time I was a chaperone for our youth group on a trip. We planned for them to raft a river. (Not me. Remember I’m not coordinated.)  When we arrived the owners told us that everyone had to have shoes that were fastened in the back. Almost all our guys had flip-flops. I asked all the girls for their hair ties, then looped the hair ties through the flip-flops so that they were attached behind the guy’s ankles. Everyone got to raft the river. 

So now, I’m having another of those moments. We are forecast to have extremely cold weather. I had my back porch enclosed with plexiglass last year. I have a heat/cool unit and an electric fireplace out there. The porch was originally a deck so there are gaps between the floorboards. The porch is underpinned but cool air still comes up through the floor. All my houseplants are there. Most of the plants are from funerals of family members. I’ve talked with the man who enclosed the porch about putting down some additional flooring that will block the cold air. But with the impending frigid weather, I’ve been trying to come up with some temporary way to protect the plants from the cold temperatures. Now the part where I am embarrassed. I have used cardboard boxes, quilts, a bedspread, leftover plexiglass, throw rugs, newspaper, towels, plastic tote lids, and possibly other things to cover the floor. There are some words to describe it that I probably shouldn’t use, but: redneck, trashy, are a few of them. 

I try to see my everyday experiences as lessons we can learn from God and His Word. So, what can I learn from this improvised insulation fiasco? 

Scripture uses the word “prepare” several times. The context varies from preparing the sacrifices, preparing for battle, preparing a place. All these instances ultimately point to God’s plan for providing the way for us to have a personal relationship with Him, victory over sin, and a place with Him forever. 

Hebrews 10:5-10 5 Therefore, as He was coming into the world, He said:

You did not want sacrifice and offering,

but You prepared a body for Me.

6 You did not delight

in whole burnt offerings and sin offerings.

7 Then I said, “See—

it is written about Me

in the volume of the scroll—

I have come to do Your will, God!”

8 After He says above, You did not want or delight in sacrifices and offerings, whole burnt offerings and sin offerings (which are offered according to the law), 9 He then says, See, I have come to do Your will. He takes away the first to establish the second. 10 By this will of God, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all.

God prepared the perfect sacrifice, the only sacrifice that could truly provide forgiveness and relationship with Him. 

1 Corinthians 2:6-11 6 However, we do speak a wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written:

What eye did not see and ear did not hear,

and what never entered the human mind—

God prepared this for those who love Him.

10 Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

God has prepared wisdom far beyond human understanding for those who love Him. The God of all knowledge and wisdom sends His Spirit to dwell in us and reveal unimaginable truths to us. Sometimes people take verse 9 out of context and apply it to Heaven. In context this verse talks about the knowledge and wisdom God’s Spirit teaches us here on earth. 

John 14:1-3 “Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also.

In this scripture Jesus tells His disciples and us that He is preparing a place for us in Heaven, to be with Him for eternity. We don’t need to worry about that. He’s handling all the details.

Ephesians 2:11 10 For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

God prepared work for us to do for His glory. He created us with a purpose.

Ephesians 6:11-13 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics] of the Devil. 12 For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. 13 This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.

God prepares us for the spiritual battles we face in this life. As you read the rest of this passage you see that He provides protection for us, but also the weapons we need for spiritual warfare. He prepares us for a victory that He has already won.

God’s preparations were made, carefully and wisely planned before time began. His preparations are absolutely perfect in every way. His preparations are purposeful and for our good. Mine are made randomly and without good planning. 

Please, if you think that your preparations for eternity are something that you can do for yourself, know with certainty that nothing we can do in our own power will prepare us for an eternity in heaven.

Ephesians 2: 8-9 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast.

Romans 10:9-10 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

The only way to be prepared for the eventuality of our own death is through what God has prepared.  My porch is random, and trashy and inadequate. But eternity without the salvation that God has prepared is infinitely worse. If you have not come to Him in faith, please do that now. 

It’s not wrong for us to make preparations for whatever situation we face. But our preparations are never perfect. Now I will show you the picture of my porch preparations, so you can see that our preparations are random and imperfect while God’s preparations are always right.