THE WONDER OF GOD'S TOMORROW

We celebrate birthdays and wedding anniversaries, which mark the beginning of a new year in our lives.  These are times we often look back and take stock of our lives and make new decisions!  Entering the land promised to Abraham also marked a new beginning for the Israelites.  On the banks of river Jordan, Joshua urges the people saying, "Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you" (Josh 3:5).  In Lev 11:44, the Bible gives the reason for this command, "…  you are to sanctify yourselves and be holy because I am holy".  The Bible also says, "Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow" (Josh 7:13).  So Joshua sanctified the Israelites in obedience to God's command before they could inherit God's promise.  

How we can prepare ourselves before we experience the wonders of God is the question we have to answer today. 

Prayer is neither preparing God nor making God willing to work wonders.  God needs no preparation to do wonders.  Only we need preparation to receive His blessings!  Preparation calls for many things, but obedience to the Word stands out to me.  The Bible says in 1 Cor. 7:19, " Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters." Without faith in the God of the Bible, we cannot have the desire to pray and meditate on the Word.  We cannot hear God speak without prayer and meditation of the Word.  Unless we listen, we cannot obey, and obedience is the key to a sanctified life!  Only when we start practicing the 'sanctified life' or the separated walk, do we understand its supreme difficulty.  We never know how bad we are until we try to be good.  We never know how many vices we have until we try to practice the virtues.  All of us are not called to be preachers, pastors, and full-time workers, but every one of us is "called to be saints" ( Rom 1:7).  God has given us the Holy Spirit to lead us in that direction.  We are empowered and enabled by the Holy Spirit to live a sanctified life. 

My friend, today, our life may be full of worries and heartaches - at home, work, ministry - everywhere.  Tomorrow is a new day with a new beginning!  The challenge for us today is to live a 'sanctified' life.  Our God is a wonder-working God.  May the Lord help us receive 'His Wonders' in our lives.

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