This month I decided to embark on a 90-day journey of focus where I am focusing on bettering myself. During this journey I am eating healthier. Choosing not to watch any sort of television unless it is spiritually motivating (like sermons). I am off of social media unless I am watching something that is spiritually motivating through those platforms (like sermons or prayers) or posting something spiritually motivating through the DistinctlyBlessed or Ladies Who Pray pages. I am only listening to gospel music throughout these 90 days. I am reading more, learning new things, intentionally doing random things outside of my comfort zone that will foster growth, spending more time praying, spending more time in God’s word, and spending more time simply seeking God’s heart. I knew that God called me to this 90 day journey when I embarked on it but I never understood why until last night. As I spent time with God, I heard Him tell me that He is preparing me for the unknown.
So often when we think about preparation we think about getting ready for something we are expecting or anticipating like an important business meeting, a 5k run, a speech we have to give, a romantic date, our child or children's first day of school, our first day of work, our first showcase, our first performance, an event that we are hosting, a promise from God that we have prayed for, etc. How many of you reading this blog can honestly say that when you prepare, you intentionally prepare for the unknown? This month, I believe that God has placed you in a season where He is calling you to begin preparing for what you don’t know is on the way. He is calling you to get ready for the unexpected blessings that are going to fall, for where He plans to take you in your future, for what looks like the impossible to man. He is calling you to prepare for navigation in foreign territories and for elevation in an unfamiliar realm.
The word that God backed this message up with was a parable in the bible that Jesus told about 10 bridesmaids in Matthew 25:1-12 NLT:
1 “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, 4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’ 7 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. 8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ 9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ 12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’
Verse 4 talks about how the bridesmaids that were wise took along “extra oil” with them. I need for someone reading this blog to understand that it is through your preparation for the unknown where God will produce your “extra oil”. Your “extra oil” is the anointing that you don’t know you are going to need along the way, it is the favor that you don’t expect to receive. What I love about this parable is that if you keep reading on to the last verse, verse 13, it says, “So always be ready. You don’t know the day or the time when the Son of Man will come” (Matthew 25:13 ERV).
1 “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, 4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’ 7 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. 8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ 9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ 12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’
Verse 4 talks about how the bridesmaids that were wise took along “extra oil” with them. I need for someone reading this blog to understand that it is through your preparation for the unknown where God will produce your “extra oil”. Your “extra oil” is the anointing that you don’t know you are going to need along the way, it is the favor that you don’t expect to receive. What I love about this parable is that if you keep reading on to the last verse, verse 13, it says, “So always be ready. You don’t know the day or the time when the Son of Man will come” (Matthew 25:13 ERV).
God has more in store for you but you do not know the day or time He will come to deliver it. It will be unknown to you, and the only way for you to access it is by preparing for the unknown or in other words, staying ready. Don’t be like the foolish five bridesmaids who were not prepared when the bridegroom arrived simply because the time that he came was unknowingly delayed. They were literally locked out from receiving their blessing because they were not prepared.
Preparing for the unknown can only happen when there is total surrenderance to God due to recognition that He is omniscient. This means that He is all knowing and therefore has complete knowledge and infinite awareness about what our future holds. “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite” (Psalms 147:5 NKJV). This means that His understanding is beyond our comprehension so He knows the work we need to put in before the blessings arrive and the doors begin to open. He knows the fine-tuning and refinement needed in the dark or hidden areas of our lives that we cannot see. He knows how to shift our paradigm to stretch us past thinking too small-scale. He knows the practice and self-discipline that we are going to need before we get there. He knows where we need to be sharpened and He knows how sharp we need to be. He knows the type of “extra oil” that we will need before we know that we have need of it.
This month, God needs you to get on your grind with preparing for the unknown. He needs you to trust Him like never before to equip you with what only He knows you will have need of. He needs you to do this because He wants to see you win. He needs you to do this because He knows that you will have to be in position when the unknown time arrives for your blessing. He needs you to do this because He can’t get the glory out of you if you are not ready to be stretched to your utmost best.
Preparing for the unknown can only happen when there is total surrenderance to God due to recognition that He is omniscient. This means that He is all knowing and therefore has complete knowledge and infinite awareness about what our future holds. “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite” (Psalms 147:5 NKJV). This means that His understanding is beyond our comprehension so He knows the work we need to put in before the blessings arrive and the doors begin to open. He knows the fine-tuning and refinement needed in the dark or hidden areas of our lives that we cannot see. He knows how to shift our paradigm to stretch us past thinking too small-scale. He knows the practice and self-discipline that we are going to need before we get there. He knows where we need to be sharpened and He knows how sharp we need to be. He knows the type of “extra oil” that we will need before we know that we have need of it.
This month, God needs you to get on your grind with preparing for the unknown. He needs you to trust Him like never before to equip you with what only He knows you will have need of. He needs you to do this because He wants to see you win. He needs you to do this because He knows that you will have to be in position when the unknown time arrives for your blessing. He needs you to do this because He can’t get the glory out of you if you are not ready to be stretched to your utmost best.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
We thank you for choosing us. We thank you for being able to look right through our inadequacies to bless us with sufficiency. We thank you for being our Father and our friend. We thank you for being someone who we know we have to always depend. We give you glory, honor and praise today God for doing what you do and simply being you. There is no one like you and we love you. Hallelujah for the fact that you have foreknown insight into our future! Hallelujah for the fact that you withhold the power to equip us with what it is you know we will need! God we boldly come before you today and ask that you help us to reach our peak. Guide and direct us throughout this season in our lives so that we are properly prepared for our unknown. Provide us with the prerequisites that you know we will need to flourish. In Jesus name we pray, amen.
Scriptures to Feed Yourself & Reflect On:
Matthew 25:1-12 NLT
Matthew 25:13 ERV
Psalm 147:5 NKJV
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV