PREPARING YOUR HEART FOR THE UNEXPECTED!

 
 Are you prepared for the unexpected?  The very idea seems almost ludicrous.  How in the world does someone prepare for something unexpected?  Would not prepping for something automatically make it expected?  I, for instance, do not expect any of my children would attempt to murder me in my sleep, so I take no precautions against such an attack.  The day I prepare for a murderous attack from one of my children is the day I expect such an attack.

      The truth is, however, unexpected things happen everyday.  Unexpected things, not prepared for, disrupt our schedules, upset our plans and, sometimes, redirect our lives.  Our response to the unexpected is probably the greatest revelation of our faith.  Do you fall apart when things do not go your way?  Do you demonstrate a steady trust in God's love and goodness when life takes a left turn?

     Throughout the Bible, we read about average men and women who found themselves in the most unlikely of circumstances.  Shepherds who became kings, princes who became eunuchs in the court of a foreign land, a slave who rose to the level of second in command of the most powerful nation on earth, and a peasant girl who became queen of an  empire.   

      When we read about great people, we must understand they are not inherently great.  The thing which often makes a person great is his or her response to the unexpected.  Opportunities make the man, so to speak.  

     The story of King Saul is a case in point.  Saul was a regular guy, living a regular life when his dad's donkeys wandered off.  Saul was tasked by his father to go find the donkeys.  Unbeknownst to Saul, the nation of Israel decided it wanted to be ruled by a king rather than priests, prophets or judges.  

    While Saul unsuccessfully searched for his father's donkeys, Samuel the prophet was receiving instructions from God concerning the coronation of a king for the nation.  As Saul's search began to seem futile, he unwittingly walked right into Samuel's royal search.  Saul just happened to wander into the town Samuel resided and decided to see if Samuel, as a prophet, could assist him in his donkey quest.  

     Saul had become disheartened in his search for the donkeys and was about to accept failure and return home.  Meanwhile, Samuel received two messages from God, concerning Saul.  First, the donkeys had been found and second, "oh by the way, God has chosen you to be king over all Israel."  This second message was certainly unexpected.  Saul received Samuel's message with humility and grace and became Israel's first king.  As king, Saul freed Israel from the bondage of it's enemies, the Philistines.

    Today, you may be facing circumstances you were not expecting. Is God using these circumstances to change the world around you?  Are you God's chosen vessel for a great undertaking?  None of us is called to mediocrity.  It may be, your unexpected circumstance is designed to draw you to a better path or even out of a rut.  The Bible tells us, "all things are God's servant."  

     Great men and women of the Bible often found themselves in unexpected and less than favorable circumstances.  Remaining faithful to God in the midst of the unexpected, the inconvenient and the horrific time and gain led to amazing opportunities.  Are you prepared for the unexpected?  Probably not, but preparing to remain faithful to God no matter your circumstance can literally make all the difference in the world.  Ask Joseph, Daniel, David and Esther.

    You may not be able to prepare for what you do not expect, but you can certainly be prepared to respond in a God honoring manner no matter the situation you find yourself

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Now, go live as Christ... and give the devil hell!