What If God Opened The Door Tomorrow?

One thing about the story of Nehemiah has always challenged me.

Nehemiah was ready.

When the king asked what he wanted, he didn't say:

"Let me think about that."

He didn't ask for a week.

He didn't tell the king he'd get back to him.

He knew the answer.

He knew in detail what result he wanted, what resources and materials he would need, he had a plan and could state an estimated timeframe of how long the plan would take to complete.

Wow.

Have you ever wondered how he could do that?

Or have you just thought,

"I'm not that kind of person. I could never do that."

There have been seasons in my life when God has actively "prepared" me.

In fact, before every major work of God in my life, He took me through a time of preparation.

At times, I recognized it.

At other times, I missed it because I thought I knew what was going to happen next.

(And I think I heard God say, "Oh, really? You think you know?")

I went through what I now call "God's tilling of the soil of my heart."

He prepared the soil of my heart by digging up everything, like when you till up your garden before planting.

Spiritually, He removed unwanted and distracting things.

Things I'd come to rely on instead of complete reliance on Him.

I continued my spiritual disciplines.

Reading my Bible.

Praying.

Learning.

Growing.

Trying to be faithful by His power and grace.

But, later, I realized God had been preparing me all along.

The trials were the fertilizer, to make the harvest bigger, and my heart, soul, and mind were prepared through them.

He brought me to a place of complete surrender.

Then God planted the seeds, opened the door of opportunity, as He did for Nehemiah, and I was ready to walk through.

What followed was a time of great harvest and fruit in my life.

Nehemiah had a detailed answer for the King because he had been preparing long before the opportunity arrived.

I've thought about that many times.

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WOULD YOU BE READY FOR THE ANSWER TO YOUR PRAYERS

What if God answered my prayers and suddenly opened the door for me today?

Would I be ready?

Would you?

It has caused me recently to pray and ask God to help me BE ready for the answer to my prayers.

Because if I don't believe He will answer my prayers, why bother praying?

And if I'm not ready when the answer comes, I may miss the very opportunity I've been praying for.

WHAT IF HE OPENS THE DOOR TODAY?

What if He opened a door for you today?

Would you be ready?

Not perfect.

Not finished.

But ready.

Friend, I think we sometimes assume that our preparation begins after God opens the door.

But I don't believe that's true.

God begins preparation long before.

Long before anyone sees what He is doing.

Before the door of opportunity opens.

And before there is any visible evidence that anything is going to happen at all.

That's where faith comes in.

Looking back, I can see that God was strengthening my faith long before I understood why.

And through all of it, God was preparing me for things I couldn't see yet.

That strengthening and preparation may come for you through disappointment, waiting, needing to learn new skills, or the removal of things, people, situations, and circumstances that you think are essential to your life and happiness.

And all the time, He is deepening your dependence on Him and your love for Him.

At the time, it may feel painful.

For me, I sometimes went through heavy trials.

Other times, I was simply going along, oblivious to the fact that this "ordinary" season, when it didn't look like anything important was happening, was actually my preparation time.

A gift from God.

Maybe that's where you are right now.

Perhaps you're waiting for God to show you the next step.

Waiting for clarity.

Looking for direction.

Scanning the horizon for that door of opportunity to open.

Wondering why it hasn't come yet.

If you've gotten caught up in comparison, feeling "less than," remember that God uniquely created you for His purpose, not anyone else’s, and He wants you to find it.

You can read more about that here: Uniquely Created by God for a Purpose

ARE YOU IN A WAITING TIME?

Can I encourage you?

The waiting time is not wasted time if you allow God to use it to prepare you.

Nehemiah didn't waste his waiting.

Is God working in you right now?

Is He speaking to you?

Training you?

Growing your character in a particular area?

Do you have a stronger hunger and thirst for His Word than you've had before?

Has He placed a burden on your heart?

Is there a dream that has risen up out of the depths of your soul?

Perhaps something you'd almost completely forgotten about.

Maybe before it just wasn't the right time, but now it is.

Is there something you simply can't stop thinking about?

A deep prayer that you continue crying out to God to answer?

Don't miss what may be God preparing you before opening the door of opportunity.

Sometimes the preparation is evidence that the assignment and calling are just ahead.

Have faith.

And be faithful.