Preparation: Long Road To The Finished Work

          It seems as though I am never out of things to repair, or rebuild around my home. This past Labor Day weekend, I had to have the entire roof, including support structure removed due to water damage. Over time, within the ceiling and walls, enough water wicked its way to cause structural issues. I am only now, to the point of new ceiling sheet rock. The long detailed process has at times been overwhelming and it felt like I was making zero progress. Finally, the finished end is in sight, and I should have my great room back for Christmas. I’m sharing this to illustrate that the long process of preparation for paint always takes longer that we think.

          Our lives, when we learn about the Bible, and God can be very much a similar process. We all begin knowing very little, if not anything about God. Regardless of the age where we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus, the remainder of our days will be a very complex and detailed journey. Like a home renovation project, the elements of our learning journey will be such that we may wonder if we are learning anything. Then, there comes a day when we have that aha moment, when scripture begins to remain with us. Under the guidance of great teachers, and encouragers, we see how the magnificent factual history of Jesus allows us to see that our preparation to one day meet Him is worth the effort.

       Our life long preparation to one day meet Jesus face to face will be a long, yet worthwhile and exciting process. All of the learning, following, believing, and sharing of His word will finally pay off. The finished work, at least here on Earth, will carry us to the promised eternity with God. We can only imagine how the captives felt as they were released from Pharaoh’s Egypt into freedom. For years, they too prepared, and God rewarded them.

          So, the question now is this. Are you doing your own preparation work now to meet Jesus? Have you accepted His invitation to spend eternity with Him? Are you anticipating your finished life here? Is your life in the process of renovation? If you are prepared to answer yes, then hang on, because God has a wonderful reward waiting for you. The preparation will take a while, but in our end,it will be worth it.

Mike Shindruk

Master’s Hand Ministry