“Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights” (Jonah 1:17).

God is a God of preparation in the sense of divine appointment. He divinely appointed a great fish to swallow up and discipline Jonah, a gourd or plant to highlight his desire for temporal comfort (4:6), a worm to devour the gourd to expose his misplaced priorities (4:7), and a vehement east wind to bring him to the end of himself (4:8).

God is also of God of preparation in the sense of to make ready. Jesus said in John 14:2, “I go to prepare a place for you...” He is preparing a place for us in Heaven with this promise, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3).

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀:

𝟭. 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀.

Let God stretch and prepare you as He did Daniel and Hebrew children, “Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans…As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom.” They were “ten times better” than the trained men in the King’s court. (Daniel 1:4, 17, 20).

𝟮. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 - 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆.

The unconscious preparation of God means that we can confidently say, “God is using all of my life experience, and those He puts in my path to prepare me for His purposes yet.” Psalm 16:5 declares, “The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.” God maintains or preserves for us what He has for us, and prepares us for what He has for us.

Ezra prepared (to fix, establish, resolve) his heart, “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments” (7:10). Wiersbe stated, “According to Ezra 7:10, Ezra studied God’s Word, obeyed God’s Word, and taught God’s Word. He was like the person Jesus spoke about in Matthew 13:52: a student (learning) who was a disciple (living) and a householder (sharing). Having a balanced life is most important.”

𝟯. 𝗪𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀.

It is said that, “Man proposes; God disposes.” We can make plans and we must, but we must remember that God is Sovereign and ultimately determines how things will turn out. Proverbs 16:9 states, “A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” A man's heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps and the outcome. Oswald Chambers wrote, “Keep your life so constant in its contact with God that His surprising power may break out. Always be in a state of expectancy, and see that you leave room for God to come in as He wills.”

May God prepare our hearts this week to “break out” with an attitude of praise and a mind of devoted service.

Sincerely,