I’ve mentioned more than once that I hope God will, I think God might, I imagine God could use my writing and teaching in a huge way.  In other words, I REALLY hope He does!  I’m talking Beth Moore sized/type of ministry.  Traveling to teach the Word of God all over the world.  Writing Bible studies.  Sharing my passion for the Bible with others in the hopes that they, too, will be stirred by the Spirit to know God more.

I don’t know if God will ever do that.  I don’t know for sure that this blog that gets about 50 views per post and my small group teaching that averages about 15 people isn’t as big as things will ever get for me.

God is the Author of my story.  He knows what’s going to happen.  I’m just a character waiting to see what’s going to happen on the next page.  But while I wait, I have a responsibility.

In the opening chapters of Joshua, the young leader is transitioning into his undesirable role as the Israelites’ leader into the Promised Land.  The people are camping on the east side of the Jordan river, waiting for the sign to cross and enter the land, when Joshua says this, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you,” (Joshua 3:5).

I’m a pretty lazy person.  If I were an Israelite, my first thought would’ve been, “Uhh, the Lord isn’t going to act until tomorrow.  Can’t we wait and consecrate ourselves then?”

No, that will not do.  The Israelites are to prepare themselves now for the amazing things to come.

More specifically, they were told to consecrate themselves.  That’s a Bibley word.  But what does it really mean?  The Israelites were to make themselves holy in anticipation of what the Lord was about to do.  In other words, they were to act right.  Do right.  Be right.  Say right things.  Make right choices.  Ask forgiveness for past wrong choices and attitudes.  Ask God to clean their hearts.  Really, when it gets down to it, consecrating oneself is about the heart.  Purify their hearts.

After all, no one wants to be the fool in the thick of sin when God shows up to do something amazing.  It’d be like your pastor seeing you out on a date with someone who is not your spouse.  How embarrassed would you be?

Anyway, you and I do not have the benefit of having someone in the flesh instructing us to get ready – purify our hearts of all unrighteousness and be on our best behavior – because the Lord is about to do amazing things among us.  But we can infer from the Bible that this is the case.

God tells us His plans for us are good (Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28, Philippians 1:6).

What are we doing to prepare ourselves for the amazing things He’s about to do?