Prepare

Word of the Day: Prepare

Verse of the Day: “The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭21:31

This verse leaves out who is doing the preparation. But it makes clear that the Lord provides the safety. Is your horse prepared against the day of battle?

God wants us to prepare. And as long as we prepare correctly - He will be there with us and He will keep us safe. 

My wife has taught me a lot about horses. How much food they need, water, cleaning their feet, brushing them daily, fly spray to keep the bugs off, checking them daily for any bumps and cuts and the equipment she needs for riding. So many pieces; the bit, the bridle, stirrups, girth, saddle and reins. Imagine what else is necessary for battle? Armor for the rider and horse, weapons, etc. so much stuff, it’s why I like dogs. 

So how do we prepare for our battle?  How do we prepare for our life as a Christian?  

We read, pray, go to church and talk to people about Christ with love, honesty and meekness. 

But it's not only the good things that we add in preparation. We take things out of our lives. The worldly music, movies, books, drinking, cursing, addictions, etc. We remove the things that distract us from the battle. And some of these things are the battle for some. 

This is how we prepare the horse against the day of battle.  We make a battle plan.  We don’t just mount the horse and ride into war. 

Notice how the verse doesn't say FOR the day of battle? It is prepared against THE day of battle. We are already in the day. Every day is our battle. We battle sin. We battle temptation. We battle our mind. At least I do. It is a constant reminder of how human I am. If you don’t purposely and intently focus on how not to sin, you will default to sin - sin nature. So how do you prepare?

I focus on God and prepare myself to deal with the temptations and the sin. I avoid the temptation and the triggers. I remove the distractions. I insert God. 

For me, prayer is my biggest preparation. I pray for everything! I give thanks. I praise God. I ask for forgiveness. I confess sin. I ask for miracles. And I pray for others. And prayer is just a piece of the preparation. 

Another piece is talking to like-minded believers. People that share your enthusiasm, interest and love for God. It’s so easy to spend hours talking about football, hunting, guns, fishing - so I put God in instead. It’s amazing how talking about God can make you feel so uplifted. There are too many critics in the world today telling you what you aren’t doing. Put God at the front and feel great about yourself. 

And lastly, read your Bible to prepare for the battle. I love to get lost in the Bible. Some days aren’t as great as other days - and when these days happen I’ll listen to sermons. But get into Gods word. It is a great piece of preparation. You can’t win a battle without knowing your enemy. And the Bible is the best place to gain knowledge. 

And finally, submit to God’s Will for you. I struggle with this tremendously. It is hard for me to let go of me! But there is so much peace when I do. Staying in the Will of God will prepare you in so many ways. 

If you will do these things they will prepare your horse in the day of the battle. And remember just because He controls the outcome doesn't mean we can let go of the reins. 

Do your part to ready your horse for battle. Pray and ask God to help you.