Prepared means it is DONE

 Jesus explains to His disciples (Mark 10:34) that He will be mocked (verbally assaulted, slandered, ridiculed and demeaned with words), spit on (the most disgusting insult, also made a Hebrew/Jewish person unclean and humiliated) and scourged (physical beating meant to teach someone ‘lesson’ that if they don’t behave properly they will not just be beaten but publicly stripped naked and whipped with a brutal cat of nine tails to remove flesh from the skin in each crushing blow) ….then killed (the Cross- a “living death” reserved for only the worst offenders). After explaining this, two of His key protege disciples immediately ask in modern terms : 

“when we go to the raging party in heaven, can you make us look good by giving us special privileges and allow us in to the VIP lounge?” We want to sit on your right and left. What a profoundly insensitive request when Jesus just explained Calvary. It might be in a tiny way like asking a mom who just gave birth “so when are you gonna have another?” Jesus doesn’t call fire from heaven for their silly (& rather selfish) request. He explains Sovereignty. In His lovingly corrective Master Rabbi way, He reminds them of the “kingdom” -the small print so to speak. What God says, will be. What God does, cannot be undone. What God prepares can’t be unprepared. God is sovereign. If the Father has already planned for, let’s say the Apostle Paul to have a “closer” seat in heaven to the throne, those seats reserved can’t be swapped, changed or altered. 

God’s perfect will and plan is irrevocable. 

This brings me such tremendous comfort. 

We all love Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” 

But most of us are not as familiar with other portions of Jeremiah. 

For exp. “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Catch that!? 

The LORD allowed and caused them to be captured & taken to Babylon. 

God rules.

“For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

God sent them to captivity just as He said. 

He made precise terms of the length of time, gave them directions while they were there & PROMISED He would end their captivity too. 

We see God’s goodness & sovereignty here. 

He used what He hates to accomplish His will through His people.

He fulfilled that which He had ALREADY planned. 

We can rest in His grace even when times are hard because HE HAS A PLAN. 

I am living in the “messy middle” and so are you….but if we learn anything about Calvary we learn the most horrendous moment in history (Christ died) resulted in the best gift for humanity (salvation). Therefore we can say to our weary soul like David “be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord” Psalm 31:24 

What ifs- replace with a Biblical Perspective

 *“What if?” thoughts*

Those ugly demonic “what ifs?” can go to Sheol where they belong!!!!!

Let’s practice a God centered what if thought process instead.

What if something bad happens?

Well then I can Trust in the LORD with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding. Something bad did happen when you endured the cross Lord Jesus, but even that was used to save me!

What if I don’t have funds to pay this bill or fill this need!?

Since you are God, I am not god, I can choose to trust in your character- you take care of us & supply more than enough.  It might not look how I imagine, but you will truly take care of me. I can choose to trust that you are Jehovah Jireh, and you provide in supernatural ways that I cannot quite understand at times…. 

my hope and expectation is in you.

What if my child gets sick? Lord you created the earth, and man messed it up when sin entered the human condition.

Accidents do happen. Unexpected illness can happen. Death is inevitable for all of us. I know that you have given us children to love nourish and raise for you Jesus. I know really they belong to you, so I have to surrender any concerns I have of my family to you because you have their best interests in mind always !

What if things (marriage/relationships/work drama/health/church ministry issues)

does not improve?  

Lord, you did not promise a cozy, comfortable life. Quite contrary LORD, you promised us that in this world, we would have trouble you also promise that in your presence is fullness of joy, and that even in pain, there will be a blessing, because when there are trials-in tests we grow.

Although I pray and fast and wait on you, I know that the reality is sometimes things do not get better. 

Sometimes they actually get harder and more difficult with each passing day.

I know that every day that I’m on this earth, it is a day closer to being with you in eternity !

Although I have long for and crave for improvement in this situation I know that your hand is upon me, and you will not allow anything to be too harsh that it would crush me beyond your saving grace.

In fact, your Word says nothing can separate me from your love, so I surrender the reality that things in this life might not get better, but one day I will be with you which is actually the best place. I’m on a journey to my eternal home and place of real rest that I long for. Help me to surrender this journey because you already have an ultimate outcome in mind anyway. 

*I share all of the above because I am realizing that anxiety comes from a place of wanting to control. I see this in Isaac.

Isaac has so much anxiety when things are out of control. Isaac’s anxiety is very different. For example, he gets freaked out if his teacher is not there, and it’s a substitute teacher, or if the freeway offramp is closed, or if there is a change in the weather and we can’t go to the park. Isaac hates being out of control because his disability makes the normal routines a little bit of comfort for his constantly anxious mind. 

Control feels good for the anxious heart…but we are not to let it dominate us!!

Thank you God that we can change the paradigm of the “what ifs” that creep into our minds. 

Correct our thought life and put a scripture in us that applies.

May we also apply prayer and your word to comfort us that you DO work all things together for good. Not all things are good, but in time even if it takes all the way till the day we enter eternity ….we know that all things do work together for good as the scripture clearly states. Jesus, we love you help us take those “what ifs” and throw them in the trash and trust in you instead !