Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Preparing for a purpose

**Note** Hello Friends and Family thank you journeying to the cross with me during this season of our life. God has filled me with so much of His truth, His peace, and His love over these past few days. I have been praying prayers of preparation. Preparation for the MRI results, which came back today and are Unremarkable! Which is a bitter sweet result...but as you will read into today's message that He has spoke to my heart. He is preparing the way...He has gone before me and knows all the details. And I am choosing to living right in the middle of that...its a very peaceful place! Thank you for your prayers. I will be taking a break from blogging for a few days, to 'prepare'! He is filling my heart with lots of GREAT things to share as we journey to the cross! Stay tuned. I love you and may you live fully in His love for you!


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Are you prepared? Are you in the process of preparing? What are you preparing for?

What kind of things prepared Jesus for His purpose? He was the Son of God I think He had the ‘right’ connections to a Father who filled Him with a whole lot of love! He was in a deep and intimate relationship with the Father.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. John 1:1-2


God was very intentional on having His Son go through some very important moments so we could relate to Him on a human level.


Mary and Joseph were chosen by God to be Jesus’ earthly parents and help prepare Him for life. In the second chapter of Luke, Mary and Joseph take Him to the temple to present Him to the Lord. During their visit to the temple an old man by the name of Simon sees Jesus and takes Him in his arms and praises God, saying:

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
You now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all people
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to Your people Israel.”
Luke 2:29-32 (emphasis mine)

Mary and Joseph were Gods earthly assistants in raising this child. Mary and Joseph knew that God had a plan for Jesus’ life. They might not have fully understood all the details, but they trusted God did.

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6


The next two events we read about in the gospels are of Jesus’ baptism and then being tempted by Satan in the desert. These events show that Jesus went through life experiences so He would know what it was like to be human.

At the age of 30 Jesus went down to a river and was baptized. Why? Jesus was perfect and didn’t need to be baptized rather He humbled Himself in full submission out of obedience to God. Jesus wanted to live out His love relationship with His Father, and He wanted to take the sins of the world and wash them all clean.

And a voice came from heaven:” You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” Mark 1:11


Jesus comes out of the Jordan and is led by the Spirit into the desert. God brought purpose to the time in the desert where Satan tempted Him.
To fully identify with humans Jesus spent 40 days in the desert with Satan who tempted Him in everyway.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who had been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Hebrews 4:15

Your childhood
Have you ever questioned why you had the earthly parents you do?

Your past
Do you ever wish you could start over?

Do you question how anything good could come from the mess?

Do you want to forget it and leave it behind?

Your present
Are you trying to get all the moves just right to make the dance look good enough?

Do you feel like you are stranded in the desert with the enemy?

Are ready to step out in obedience and get your feet wet in the river?


Friends these are NOT wasted times! He is preparing you! You might not know all the details, have a million questions, be seeking answers. But trust what He is saying to you:

“For I know the plan I have for you”, declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD. “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you.” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” Jeremiah 29:11-14


Your Future

May you know that He has prepared the way for you. He sent His Son to do just that. Jesus prepared the way…all the way to the cross. And the reason He prepared the way was for the purpose of showing you just how much He loves you!

12 comments:

Nicole said...

Amen! It all boils down to LOVE! Precious love.

My ADHD Me said...

The verses you quoted from Jeremiah are the same ones that Edie sent me for Christmas.

Coincidence? I think not.

BTW, An UNREMARKABLE MRI can be more frustrating than a remarkable one..

Kelly said...

I ask alot of these questions to myself. Great reflection questions!

Hope you are feeling better, and that you will receive some answers.

achildoftheking said...

Nichole,

That's a powerful message. Just as Nicole said, "It all boils down to LOVE!". If you have not love you have nothing! How sad is that!!

Joyful said...

Nichole, continuing in prayer for you.

Beautiful post. God does have a plan...a perfect plan.

” You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” Mark 1:11

I've always been blessed that His Father speaks those words of love and pleasure over His Son, before Christ's earthly ministry fully began. God loves us for who we are, not what we do.

Love ya,
Joy

Sharon said...

Yes God does have the perfect plan!! He Loves us soooo much, He Loves us unconditionally!!
I pray all is going well and know he is there with you.
Please keep us informed of whats going on!
You will be missed and chat with you reallll soon
Have a beautiful and blessed day

Mark said...

Very nice blog! Bless you

Tea with Tiffany said...

You continue to live on purpose. Thank you for this thought provoking post.

I love you,

Tiffany

Anonymous said...

Jesus Love's ME!
Love, Hugs and Prayers,
Mom

Kimberly said...

This goes right along with things He has been speaking to my heart...how there is purpose and preparation in every day. That no matter how plain, ordinary, or uneventful a day may look to me...it is a day He IS indeed using for my good.

And there are no words for how grateful I am that Jesus would come to earth and walk the road of preparation for me. No adequate words!

Blessings to you, sweet friend, as you keep clinging to Him and trusting in Him as you wait for answers.
Love and prayers,
K

Nicole said...

Thinking of you today. Hope all is well!

Anonymous said...

Hold On to Jesus...He is HOLDING on to You...
I Love You, Mom
Thanking God for You....