Preparation

Ephesians 6:15-16 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

In March of 2003, while serving in the Amazon, I led a 14 year old girl to the Lord on my back porch .  She wept as she accepted the Lord as her Savior.  I was so thrilled with the victories we were seeing in our ministry at the time that I felt like I could conquer the world.  I was very sincere in my desire to see folks saved, lives changed and be the best missionary wife I could be.  But as one preacher put it, sincerity is not enough, we must also be right. 

It was with great sincerity later that day that I sat on the wooden bench on my back porch and I prayed for all the people in Barcelos and surrounding villages.  I lifted my voice and begged God to help us be the light in such a dark world.  Then, I did something very foolish.  In my sincerity, I spoke out loud to the devil.  He had already tried to take my life in illness, and he had already tried to make us quit by attacking our children and it had not worked.  So in my sincere flesh, I said, "Devil, you can't stop us, bring it on."  And he did.  I was sincere, but I was NOT prepared for what the next 4 years held in my life.  Beware of working and serving or even living your day Unprepared.

We are to put on:
1. Truth (Holds everything together)
2. Righteousness (Protects our heart)

3. Preparation (Learning and ready to go)

Had I been obeying the Truth of God's Word, I wouldn't have ever gotten self righteous enough to think I could take the enemy on without being prepared.  Did I speak to the devil in pride? Yes, I think I did.  Did I love the Lord? Absolutely.  But I just wasn't right to call out the enemy the way I did.  We must be very careful to always remember to be strong in the power of HIS might and never our own true frailty. 

You may be reading the Truth.  You may be wearing your breastplate of Righteousness and your heart is nice and protected.  But if you are spiritually barefoot, you aren't going to get too far. Be as sincere as you may be, but if you are without the proper foot gear, life's road is going to hurt.

How do we shod our feet with the preparation of the Gospel?  We humbly present ourselves to God to learn.  Learn HIS precepts (Truth) and Live in HIS Spirit (Righteousness) and never stop learning about God.  Never think you have "arrived".  Humility is the key here.  No one likes to feel as though they are on the bottom rung of the ladder of life, but it is where you can begin learning if you are humble enough to accept what God wants to teach you.

The word preparation isn't about "getting" ready, it is about being ready.  Ready for whichever road you are going down, ready for where God leads you, ready to share His Word with someone else and yes, ready for the battles that are coming.

Let God guide you, don't force your life to happen.  Don't antagonize the enemy....your salvation already does that.  If God wanted us to see ourselves in the light of wearing armor and being soldiers, contending for the faith, then that makes me know, He doesn't see us as cowards, He sees us arrayed in all that He has provided and wants us to have the victory in our lives. 

If you have ever failed miserably, guess what?  Your armor didn't.  It may be lying around you in separate pieces, but it is as strong and sturdy as it ever was.  Today could be the day you start putting it all back on and be ready once more in the service of the King.

Ask yourself:

Am I willing to humble myself to Learn and Prepare?
Am I willing to go wherever God wants me to go during the day?

You cannot get your masters in Christianity without getting your degree first.  It takes time to learn and you will never learn it all, so just enjoy all the facets of Truth He will show you about Himself.  That is something really practical you can do...just enjoy what He does in your life.  Enjoy finding out more about Him.  Let Him prepare you for tomorrow!

And remember, it isn't the Gospel of fretting, worrying, performing, pride, or anxiousness.  It is the Gospel of PEACE.  We all should be at peace inwardly with HIM. 

Psalms 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Come back Monday and we can take a look at the shield of Faith.  Be ever learning of Him and be willing to make it through the lessons He has for you.  If anything, I hope you can learn from some of my personal mistakes and never go UNprepared into the battle. 

Until next time, Lord willing,
Sheri