God Is Preparing You for Something Greater

The world is tense today as fighting escalates between Israel and Hamas. And, once again, I continue to sense this is a short time of preparation before new realities emerge that will be caused by monumental events.

Some of you reading this are about to be thrust into a much larger arena of influence. Many years ago William Gladstone, Britain’s Prime Minister at the time, gave an impassioned, brilliant response to a formal written speech in the House of Commons. The members of Parliament sat spellbound as they listened to him. One man approached him afterward and said, “Mr. Gladstone, I was deeply moved by your extemporaneous speech.” The Prime Minister replied, “That extemporaneous speech, as you call it, was twenty years in the making.”

God’s ‘Suddenlies’

Life’s accelerations often come suddenly (or so it seems) when, in fact, they are the culmination of much unseen preparation. Just one day can re-navigate the flow and impact of your life.

Like costly wine, that which is brewing and being distilled in you will one day be poured out, in the fullness of time. David was just a shepherd boy minding his father’s business. One day, on an errand for his father, David was promoted to the status of a national hero. It came suddenly. Unexpectedly.

Stephen served faithfully but without distinction as a servant-deacon in the church at Jerusalem. Suddenly, one gruesomely eventful day, his practice of faithfulness to his Lord held him in the hour of his greatest crisis. Now for twenty-one centuries Stephen’s name has been associated with greatness. His martyrdom has been the prototype of courage for thousands of Christian martyrs who followed.

Philip also served behind the scenes in that band of Jerusalem deacons. But suddenly he too was thrust into greatness. One day he was wiping tables for widows. A few weeks later he was preaching Christ to thousands with attending miracles. Today he stands as the pristine New Testament model for the ministry of the evangelist.

Be Ready: Your Promotion Is Coming

Are you waiting in the wings? There’s an appointed time for you. Your life and the circumstances of history will intersect at the perfect moment. Today you may feel sidelined, benched. But get ready and stay ready. Are you prepared for the Coach to look in your direction?

About the Author

David Shibley is the founder and world representative for Global Advance, a ministry that ignites changemakers worldwide to be catalysts for fulfilling the Great Commission. The above article is a timely adaptation from his book, Recapturing Your Dreams: The Quest for Contentment.