Anticipation!

“Joshua told the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.’”
Joshua 3:5

Today I’m watching my brothers stare ravenously at the mountain of Christmas presents spilling out from beneath the Christmas tree. All you have to do is look at their faces to tell they are not enjoying the wait. The suspense is almost killing them! Yet, they know the anticipated moment has not arrived.
Now imagine you’re an Israelite and Joshua has just told you that God is going to do something amazing tomorrow. There’s a catch, though. You must wait and consecrate yourselves. It’s almost as bad as being a nine-year-old taunted by the gifts under the tree! You know something exciting is about to happen, but you must be patient.

Consecration is the act of setting yourself apart for God’s purpose. It is a mental preparation for what God is about to do in your life. When Joshua told the people to consecrate themselves, he expected them to spend some quiet time in conversation with the Lord and prepare themselves to be used for his glorious plan.

Right now my brothers are mentally preparing themselves for the onslaught of presents. They are getting themselves ready for the long hours of playing with new toys. They might not be in the same situations as the Israelites, but the message is the same: before something big, a time of preparation is almost always necessary.

2011 is on the horizon and God is getting ready to do amazing things in our lives. Just like the Israelites and just like my brothers, we need to prepare ourselves for the spiritual challenges of the dawning year. God is going to do amazing things in your life and through your life, but that won’t happen on it’s own. A time of preparation is needed, and although we don’t like waiting, the wait will be worth the reward. How will you begin your preparation?

Prayer: Father, we love You so much. We know the work You will do in our lives will be great, but we also know you require a time of consecration and preparation. I pray you would give us the will to stick through the time of preparation, and that we would prepare in the correct ways for Your will in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Madelyn Leembruggen