Preparation
A devotional by Glynis Becker
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet water. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” –Psalm 23:1-3 (NASB)
God knows what I need before I need it.
After all these years and all the times I’ve seen it happen, how is it possible that it still surprises me? Every day He is preparing us, in big and small ways, for what our next steps on this journey will be.
Moses spent years as a prince in the palace of Pharaoh. Though he was probably unaware, those were years of preparation for a greater task. So were his years as a shepherd, just like another famous shepherd: David. Who knew that learning to throw rocks, possibly from both necessity and boredom, would lead where it did for that shepherd boy and that we’d still be singing about it thousands of years later?
Nothing is ever wasted with God. No time doing “ordinary” things. No “small” actions. No time spent in prayer. None of it.
Often at the end of one year, I’ll start thinking through a word to focus on for the upcoming year. Usually it’s a charge to myself to accomplish something or to be more mindful of some aspect of life I feel is lacking. The word that wouldn’t stop coming to my mind this year was “connection.” Circumstances in the last few years have left me feeling a little disconnected from my circle of friends and family and I felt like this word was a way of reminding myself every day to make the effort to connect with the people around me.
Plus, I want a deeper connection with God. I hope I’m not the only one who feels like I “unplug” from God, mostly unintentionally, through the busyness of life, distractions, and even the occasional arrogance of wanting to do things my own way. This year I would change that by making an intentional effort at connection with Him through study, prayer, and meditation.
Because I’m not as organized as I’d like to be, for the first time ever, I bought a planner to help reign in the chaos of my days. As I was looking ahead and making goals for the year, there was a spot for my year’s word and next to it, one for a verse. I’ve never picked a verse for the year, but it only took a few minutes to come up with one: Psalm 23. In an instant, hearing those well-known and well-loved verses gave me a beautiful picture of not only connection, but peace during difficulties, hope in our relationships, and comfort in eternity.
And amazingly, God knew in December that this is exactly what I would need in January, when already our family’s year looks nothing like we thought it would. I would soon crave focus and connection in a way I didn’t know at the time I chose it.
Praise God for His sovereignty, knowing our futures, knowing our hearts, and preparing us for each day of our journey through life, often in the smallest of ways.
Let’s Pray: Thank you, Jesus, for being with me, not just beside me, but ahead of me, as I walk through my earthly life. And thank you for the gift of an eternal, abundant life with you now and always. In Your precious name, I pray, Amen.
~*~
Author Bio:
Glynis Becker writes devotions and inspirational fiction, hoping someday to have a published novel on her resume.
She has co-written several screenplays, including the film Sinking Sand, available on DVD and digital streaming.
Glynis, whose childhood was spent all over the country as an Air Force brat, has called South Dakota home for many years, along with her husband and two teenage children.
When she’s not writing or reading, she is watching more television than she should and crocheting. You can find her at www.glynisbecker.com.
