Be Prepared

BE PREPARED

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. Psalm 84:5

Welcome to the New Year. We give thanks and praise to God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ for bringing us into this new year. God has awesome blessings for us this year, but we have to be prepared for them.

   The motto of the Scout Movement is, ‘Be Prepared.’ Boys and girls who join the Scouts are trained mentally and physically for emergencies. To face life, we have to think like the scouts, ‘Be Prepared.’ What comes to mind when you hear about preparation? Do you think about, studying for a test, or maybe packing all the necessary equipment before a trip? Perhaps, we need to approach the year as we would a test or a journey. We need to be prepared for 2019.

   The first preparation we need for this year is the preparation of our hearts. We need to prepare our hearts to the Lord. The Psalmist encourages us to set our hearts on pilgrimage. That means to prepare spiritually for the journey that the Lord has set before each one of us.

   Prepare your heart. Take charge of your spiritual life. The word of God must move from the pages of the Bible into our hearts. To do that, we must read it often and meditate on it deeply.

   Prepare your head. Take charge of your thoughts. Choose the thoughts you entertain in your mind.

   Prepare your hands. Take charge of your actions. Choose to courageously do what you know that the Lord has called you to do.

   Preparing for a journey does not change the distance of the journey; it only helps us manage our lives better during the journey. It gives us better tools to deal with whatever comes our way on the journey. Let’s live 2019 with hearts that are prepared for the journey. It’s going to be a good ride.

Prayer: Father, my heart is set on pilgrimage this year; order my steps.

Scriptural Reading: Psalm 84:5-7

5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.

6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca, They make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools.

7 They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion.

NKJV

Be Prepared