I Wanna Be Ready

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 22

For David said, “Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all lands. I will therefore make preparation for it.” So David provided materials in great quantity before his death. (1 Chronicles 22.5)

Devotional Thought: Have ever said, "It's too hard to take vacation!"?  I have.  Throughout our ministry, Lana and I often experienced that it was more difficult to be away than it was to stay home!    Leaving ministry in the hands of others - often less experienced and less familiar with the details - would sometimes demand that our preparations begin weeks in advance.  Recently I found out that getting ready for vacation was easy when compared to getting ready to be gone because of retirement!

When King David approached the end of life, he got busy preparing for his son Solomon to take over the throne.  Uppermost in David's mind was the completion of his greatest dream - building a magnificent temple for the worship of God.  David knew that Solomon was "young and inexperienced" and that a building project of this magnitude would stretch Solomon and his leadership team to their limit.  So he said, "I will therefore make preparation for it," and he "provided materials in great quantity before his death."

Some preparations we make are easy and do not require much attention - they can be almost left to chance.  But the preparations for death are not like that.  As you look toward your future - especially the end of life - what preparations do you need to make?  Whom are you leaving behind that you would want to help succeed in life?  What can you do to help them?  What message would you give them?  What resources?  What values?

May God give us the grace to live every day so that our lives would be temples to share his "fame and glory throughout all lands."

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the life that you have given me, the dreams, the potential, and the influence.  Help me, O Lord, to live in such a way that I make preparations not only for myself, but also for others to succeed in bringing you fame and glory.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 44:17-26

17 All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten you, and we have not been false to your covenant.

18 Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from your way;

19 yet you have broken us in the place of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death.

20 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god,

21 would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart.

22 Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

23 Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!

24 Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?

25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly clings to the ground.

26 Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!