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Week 14
The Long Season of
Preparation
"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more
abundantly." John 10:10b
Last lesson we learned about how God’s view of a truly successful life is
radically different from the world's view! There are lasting and eternal rewards when we say no to the world's false ideas of
success, set aside our own human wills, and wholeheartedly seek the Lord through daily Bible reading and meaningful prayer.
"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your
heart." - Jeremiah 29:13.
As we begin to pursue true Biblical success in the ways we discussed in the last chapter, we will
begin to view life in terms of working for heavenly treasures rather than earthly treasures. (See Matthew 6:19-21.) We will
develop enthusiasm to use our amazing God-given potential to further His Kingdom!
Do you have any specific ideas of how you would like to help further God's
Kingdom?
If we misunderstand these right desires to help further God's
Kingdom, however, it is very easy to become quickly frustrated.
Let's say you're fifteen years old and you've been seriously living for God for several months now -- maybe even several years.
You want to give your life to advancing His Kingdom. People are dying and going to hell every day, and you want to get out there
and do something about it!
But there are some serious obstacles; for one thing, you're still in school, and have several more
years of schooling ahead of you. Your days are full with schoolwork, music practice, and helping your mom with the housework and
meals. You are frustrated with all this tedious work that is tying up your life. You want to go serve the Lord -- to work for
something that really matters!
Key Truths:
God often takes a significant amount of time (often several years) to teach us to deeply know Him,
to strengthen our character, and to develop in us a powerful life message -- before He will bring us to the major avenues
of ministry and opportunity that we desire.
It can be so hard to wait! We may feel so "ready", and yet God just isn't giving the green
light. It's so important that we don't give up! "Therefore we do not
lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is
being renewed day by day For our light affliction, which is but for a
moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are
not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are
not seen are eternal." - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
During a time of waiting, we must continue to trust God.
Read the following Scriptures and list insights and truths to apply from each one:
Psalm 27:14
Proverbs 3:5-6
Do you believe that God has a perfect plan for your life?
Times that look to us like the least effective for eternal purposes are almost always vital times of
preparation. Becoming disheartened with a time of waiting, and jumping ahead of God's plan will only cause
problems, and will not yield the results or fulfillment we want.
It is essential that we do not lose heart! Instead, we must fully trust that our God knows what is
best, and that He is still at work in our lives, even though we don't quite understand His way of working.
If we maintain an open heart toward the Lord, He will work in our hearts and make us more and more
like Jesus. The more we cooperate with Him as He works to prepare us, the sooner we will truly be ready for ministry!
Remember the life of David. He spent his youth as a shepherd out in the fields. Tending sheep must
have been a rather lonely task. He could have thought, God doesn't seem to have any big purpose for me. Here I am out in the
fields with these sheep day after day while time just keeps going by.
We don't know whether David ever had thoughts like these or not. What is clear, however, is that God
mightily used David's years as a shepherd. During that time, David learned responsibility and character. Most importantly, in
those shepherd fields, David came to really know and trust God.
These shepherd-boy years may have seemed quite unproductive to other people, and certainly even
David himself could not have understood the full significance of this time until later in his life. However, God used David's
youth to make his heart very in tune with the Lord, and to prepare David for significant ministry in the future.
David's cooperation with the Lord's preparation certainly yielded very successful results: the Lord
blessed David's life incredibly and honored him by calling him "a man after God's own heart".
Besides that, God used David's heart to pour out most of the book of Psalms. Talk about a ministry!
More than 2,000 years later, the Psalms of David continue to bring comfort and hope to millions of people!
Are you willing to wait for God's perfect timing, and to use the time from now until then to
trust Him
to prepare you?
In what ways can you cooperate with God as He works to make your heart increasingly like the Lord
Jesus, and to develop a powerful life message through you?
Two ways to cooperate with God as He prepares your heart for future ministry:
1.) Learn to meditate on the Scriptures.
(Please note that the word "meditate" means to ponder, and think deeply about. This is far
different from the evil "eastern meditation" associated with false religions.)
Did you know God's Word tells us that Scripture meditation
and application is a prerequisite for success?!
"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall
meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that
is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will
have good success." - Joshua 1:8. (See also Psalm 1:2-3.)
George Mueller wrote, "Meditation on God's word has given me the help and strength to pass
peacefully through deep trials. What a difference there is when the soul is refreshed in fellowship with God early in the morning!
Without spiritual preparation, the service, the trials, and the temptations of the day can be overwhelming."
If you have never really meditated on Scripture before, don't worry! It is not necessary to be a
Bible scholar or anything like that! God's Word meets every need we have. The Bible contains incredible insights that are very
helpful to our lives as we learn to apply them.
Select a verse or passage from the Bible that you will meditate on. Try to pick a section that talks
about something specifically relevant to your life. For example, if you are struggling with trusting God, pick a verse or passage
that addresses that subject; if you routinely face a specific temptation, find a Scripture that deals with that.
Bible verse or passage selected:
Memorization is very helpful for meditation. However, if you have a hard time memorizing, you can
still meditate on Scripture; you’ll just need to keep the verse in front of you so you can study it. (One helpful idea is to copy
the verse on a small card so you can carry it around in your pocket and reference it regularly.)
To meditate on Scripture, begin by really studying it. Say the passage over and over and think about
its meaning. Ask God to help you to fully understand it.
"We cannot read the Bible like a newspaper, for there is much which cannot be detected by a
cursory glance. Feeding upon the Word requires careful application of both the head and heart."
- excerpted from "Meditation: The Key to Success" (The King's
Daughter Vol. 4#4).
As you study the passage, personalize it by inserting your own name into the passage and pondering
how it can apply to your own life. "If you don't apply the passage on which you meditate, you might as well not meditate at
all! The promises of success God has made to whoever meditates are for those who truly meditate on Scripture and
apply it.
We know from James 1:22 that we are to be '...doers of the word, and not
hearers only...' After memorizing Scripture, we can
ponder it all day long and often change our actions as a result." -
excerpted from "Meditation: The Key to Success" (The King's
Daughter Vol. 4#4).
Lying in bed at night right before you go to sleep is a great time to meditate on Scripture! It's
also helpful to read your verse again first thing in the morning and try to keep it in your head and heart throughout the day,
using its truth to help you respond properly to whatever happens. Project:
Be accountable to others in your Bible study group that you will meditate on at least one passage of
Scripture this week. Next week, be prepared to share the insights that God has given you. (If you are working through this book
alone, share your insights with your mom.)
2.) Abide in the Lord.
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch
cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you,
unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides
in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
- John 15:4-5.
What do you think it means to "abide in the Lord"?
"To abide is to have a personal relationship with our Vine, the Lord Jesus. What a privilege!
Abiding is knowing and loving the Lord Jesus. It is needing and resting in His strength. It is seeking and watching for His
guidance in my life.
Do you desire to know the Lord?
"My parents, friends, and church may know and love the Lord, but I myself must know and love Him,
too.
"We begin to know and love the Lord as we read the Bible and speak with Him in prayer. A quiet time
before the demands and busyness of the day is the best way to make sure the Lord is first in your life."
- Sharon Leskowat, "Abiding in the Lord" (The King's Daughter
Vol. 6#6).
Read Psalm 119:103. In what practical ways can you apply this verse to your own
life?
"It's so easy to jump right out of the abiding that blossoms during our quiet time and start
dealing with the day in our own strength. Actually, quiet time and 'real life' should never be separated. To abide means to
remain, continue, and stay. This fellowship with the Lord must continue throughout the day!
"How do we remain in fellowship with God? If you faithfully value your morning
quiet time, you'll find it much easier to abide in the Lord throughout each day. Commit each activity of your day to Him, and
think about Him while you do it." - Sharon Leskowat, "Abiding in the
Lord" (The King's Daughter Vol. 6#6).
What things can disturb your regular abiding in the Lord?
Project:
Lack of faith and allowing sin in our lives are two things that often interrupt our abiding. What
would you do to get your life back on track if something were to interrupt your abiding in the Lord?
Week 14 memory work: Choose at least one verse from the following list. Memorize the verse(s)
that you think will be the most helpful for you to remember:
Courtney was unusually quiet at dinner that evening. Staring at her plate, she
considered her options. How would she persuade her dad that the missions trip to Taiwan this summer was just perfect for her? Her
dad tended to be so hesitant and protective -- how could she make him see that this was the opportunity of a lifetime?
After most of the family had gone to bed, Courtney worked up the nerve to introduce the subject. She
explained how Dad's trusted friends would be heading up the project -- how it wasn't too expensive -- how everything would be
perfectly safe. Then she waited nervously for his reply.
To think -- if he said yes! How exciting it would be to travel with her friends to the other side of
the world, and really do something for God -- something more than just finishing school work or helping Mom
-- something real.
"What would be the purpose of your trip?" Dad asked thoughtfully.
Courtney swallowed. "I have such a burden for the children in Taiwan. They're going to be doing
Bible clubs, and I could help."
Her stomach tightened in dismay as Dad shook his head. "I don't think you're ready for this,
Courtney. Let's wait a few years."
A few years! That seemed like eternity. Courtney felt her dream slipping out of her fingers.
"But Dad, why? Life around here is so boring!"
What should Courtney do? In light of what we learned today, how would you recommend Courtney prepare
herself for a future missions trip?
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