Sometimes in the movies you see a wise older person give a child something that seems of no value and tells them to hold on to it for a time when they will need it. Years may go by, then suddenly the child finds themself in a situation and remembers the gift, pulls it out, and it’s exactly what’s needed in the moment.
That, is a God trait. He does that so often that it’s easy for us to take it for granted.
An example of this for me occurred with a devotional gifted to me a long time before I even began to treasure it. It remained unopened as I carted it around for years while I moved from place to place. Then, when I gave my life to Jesus, there it was waiting for me: My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. It carried me through my first year as an adult Christian and helped me decide to be unwavering, and to gain a solid foundation in my Christian faith. I believe that book was God-sent to me years before I would choose to use it, but so it would be in my possession when the time came that I needed it.
You can tell stories of this in your own life. Words of advice and wisdom you’ve been given, warnings, gifts, things buried deep inside you that only you and God know are there.
It might be a social media post with words that you don’t need right this minute, but they stick with you, and you store them up until one day you realize that those words you’ve carried around for such a long time, are exactly for such a time as the one you’re in. You speak them out, use them to give you courage, and lean on them for comfort.
It could be a warning that when you first heard it appeared needless, but it resonated with you, and so you tucked it away and incorporated it into your life and decision-making.
Sometimes a Bible verse sticks with you long before you can apply it to any situation you’ve come across; and then you experience something, and immediately recognize that the verse is timely and perfect for you in that season. This is not a fluke or a coincidence.
James 1:17 says “Every good thing given, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights”.
Imagine, right at this very moment, you are walking around with these treasures that you don’t recognize to be such, but God does. When the time is right you’ll recognize them for what they are, and be able to use them for the purpose they were given to you for.
Peter tells us that we are to be active in our own growth and preparation: For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8). In addition to our own preparation, however, are the Father’s good gifts that come, sometimes right on time, and on occasions, long before we need them and even recognize them for what they really are.
Aren’t you grateful that’s the kind of Father our God is, giving us what we need, sometimes before we need it? Thank Him today that He has foreseen what you will need in a certain situations and has already started to prepare you for them.
Before they call I will answer;
while they are still speaking I will hear.
(Isaiah 65:24 NIV)
© Debbie Mendoza, January 2023
Debbie Mendoza 