God Is Getting You Ready

God Is Getting You Ready

READ: Lk 14:28

"No man builds without counting the cost."

Before God gives you more, He observes you with what you have. Furthermore, when He speaks a word over your life it’s like a seed; it needs time to take root and sprout. If God has planned it for you, don’t get into a hurry. “Wait for it; because it will surely come” (Hab 2:3). Patience develops in us the ability to stand up to the pressures that accompany blessing. Look back; aren’t some of the things you’ve been through, the very things that have equipped you to handle what you have now? Had God given them to you sooner you couldn’t have handled them, and He loves you too much to let that happen. Think: if you’re having difficulty handling criticism from a few people, how would you do if God made you pastor or company president? Are you ready to pay the price? And more importantly, are you able to pay for it? The more God gives you, the more He holds you responsible for. Jesus said: “No man builds without counting the cost.” Sometimes we want things because others have them. You say you want a husband and children, but are you ready to start living sacrificially? You say you need a wife, but are you ready to “give yourself for her” (see Eph 5:25)? Whatever you’re going through today, there’s great peace in knowing that nothing the enemy does can preempt God’s plan. So, “Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act! Keep traveling steadily along his pathway and in due season he will honor you with every blessing” (Ps 37:34 TLB). Rejoice; God is getting you ready.

What Is Your Destiny?

"I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not."

Only when you accept failure as final, are you finally a failure. Any time you learn from failure, you’ve taken a step toward success. You can’t hit a home run unless you step up to the plate and face the pitcher. Baseball legend Babe Ruth hit a record 714 home runs, but he also struck out over 1,300 times. During a low period, an interviewer asked him how he overcame discouragement. He replied, “If I just keep swinging the bat, the law of averages says I’ll catch up. In fact, when I’m in a slump, I feel sorry for the pitcher because I know that sooner or later he’s going to pay for it.” When Benjamin Disraeli attempted to speak in Parliament for the first time they booed him into silence. But he said, “Though I sit down now, the time will come when you will all hear me.” And they did! He became one of Britain’s best orators and prime ministers. Today Disraeli’s critics are forgotten, but his contribution to history lives on. You say, “How can I recognize my destiny?” First, your destiny is a desire that won’t let you go.Paul said: “I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not.” Second, your destiny will be more than a job, it will be joy. The Psalmist said: “I delight to do thy will” (Ps 40:8). Third, your destiny will unlock your creativity. When God called Gideon a “mighty man of valour” (Jdg 6:12), he was hiding in a cave. But God wasn’t addressing his present state, He was speaking to the potential within him. So, what are you called to do?