My, how I hated and dreaded that class! It was to be an innovative, ground-breaking experiment in our small, rural school district; they would offer a limited-enrollment, college-prep English course, taught by the tough, no-nonsense chair of the department. Yikes, the dreaded no-nonsense Mrs. Waz and fifteen soon-to-be-stressed-out high school seniors, all in for the ride of our lives!
For weeks we endured an in-depth study of the works of Shakespeare, cumulating with one huge nightmare, a dreaded final test. The task was to identify and match Shakespearean quotes to the characters who articulated those words. Seriously? All that I can recall from that nail-biting experience is To be or not to be, that is the question… the familiar soliloquy spoken by Hamlet. This young prince was contemplating aloud whether he should continue to endure the unfairness of his troubled life, or escape through suicide, “…to die, to sleep.” Rather depressing, isn’t it? Unfortunately, that’s about all that I remember from Mr. Shakespeare, that sad quote and the fact that following the test every student in the class was about as depressed as Hamlet was when he spoke those words!
In my recent study through II Chronicles, I have become aware of the importance of one ultimate, life-changing decision, To prepare or not to prepare. The lives of two diametrically opposed kings, Rehoboam and Jotham, are defined by the decisions they made regarding preparedness. Rehoboam “…did evil, because he prepared NOT his heart to seek the LORD” and Jotham “…became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.” Two kings, two simple decisions, two outcomes. God blessed and withheld blessings based on their preparedness to meet with God, to submit to His direction, to allow Him to be sovereign over their lives.
I want to be one who is prepared. Spiritual success depends on being equipped by God, seeking His kingdom and His righteousness first, doing everything in light of his Word, making every decision with God in mind, bathing our lives in prayer and Bible study, and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our steps and to direct our worship.
Be prepared for what life has for you today; spend some time in the quietness of His Word, listening for His voice. I may not remember all my Shakespeare, but I think To prepare or not to prepare is by far more important anyway!
Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it…
Help me to prepare my heart as I spend quiet time with You. Lord, the only way that I can be prepared to meet the challenges of a new day is to meet with You first, allowing You to instruct, comfort, and lead.