… so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground… with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Boldness nearly always springs out of readiness.
A fire springs up in the dry mountains of Arizona, and in less than a day, an entire army of trained fire jumpers are parachuting into a remote section of wilderness, establishing a fire line, and preparing to meet the blaze before it reaches a town.
A President, at the State Dinner and Ball, one minute is dancing with his wife and mixing with a large, diverse crowd of people. Suddenly, he stumbles and falls to the ground, and out of the gathering rush in 20 well-dressed, ear-pieced, undercover Secret Service agents, all tasked with the job of keeping the President safe.
On a cellular level, a foreign bacterium enters the lungs, and within minutes (unbeknown to the individual), an entire team of white blood cells springs into action, attacking the invaders as they begin to multiply. Glands in the nose, throat, and neck—in concert with the bone marrow, spleen, small intestine, and thymus—all detach an army of cells that begin to surround and defeat the invader. This cellular level secret service team, always on guard to keep us healthy, is just part of a “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) body that can live in a world of nearly 8 billion well-connected people.
We encounter readiness on every level of our “fallen” world. Boldness springs heroically out of readiness. A fire jumper, a Secret Service agent, and a “T-Cell” are all trained to do their job—to confront and attend to a specific threat. Everyone looking on sees their service as bold and heroic. But in essence, they are “only doing their job.”
The Kingdom of God on Earth since Jesus’ death and resurrection has been realized in Christ’s true followers, made into a spiritual body. WE ALL have a part to play, a job to do, and a role to fill. As God’s sovereign plan unfolds to draw humans from all the nations of the Earth around the throne of His Son to bring Him ultimate glory, we each are urged by the Spirit and the Word to be READY.
“Readiness” is our keyword this week. As you and I come before the Lord in reflective prayer and time in the Word, humbly ask the Father for eyes to see the readiness HE is asking you to prepare for. Am I ready to love on someone caught in gross sin? Am I ready to speak the Word of God into someone’s life and plant the message of Jesus’ finished work in them? Am I ready to meet unsettled times with quiet confidence, holy boldness, and a fearless attitude that puts God and others before myself? Is my heart trusting God and controlled by my King, or does it still trust man and the things easily shaken of this world? Am I letting God train my heart to boldly engage the kingdom of darkness and advance the Kingdom of Christ? Holy boldness is always preceded by spiritual readiness.
Using the questions above, ask God to reveal to you one or two areas of your life and routines that need to be strengthened, polished, or made ready for service. In your journal, jot down a first step to see that accomplished.
Hannah Crim: CRU International-Raleigh, NCBACK TO WEEKLY DEVOTIONS