Proverbs 4:23 – Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
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Although this sort of reminder is now becoming more popular in today’s world, I feel it necessary to give a reality check about preparation. There are going to be many situations that will come up in the months, weeks, or even days ahead that will take you by surprise! These occurrences may be good or bad, wonderful or tragic, or simply just something you could not have put together in your mind to ever happen. There are also going to be circumstances, objects, or people that will be involved. Now that I have presented the reality, I would like to also give the solution to this reality: We cannot always be prepared, but we can be guarded! Regardless of how you put it all together before it happens, you have to learn to get yourself in the mindset to always be on guard in your mind through prayer. God has began showing me that in theory thought I may be surprised I can still be on guard and protected by the covering of His spirit!
I have learned as of late that the only thing you can put your trust in is God. Some of the best things are learned the hard way, right? Wrong! I cannot stress enough that the hard way is not the best way! Do not wait until you are in a real bind with your guard down before you begin to trust in God. God is the only foundation that will be solid that gives you a place you can seek for peace over the worries of your mind. I believe that is why the word of God talks about watching and praying. It bears more significance now more than ever!
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Put Into Practice:
When it comes to testing yourself for being surprised, there are many things that came to mind that could be fun and silly and would more than likely leave you forgetting this quickly. What I would like to do instead is to go a step further than a physical activity.
Think and consider a time where you heard something that did not affect you at first but did over time. Think about another time where something you hear had an immediate effect on you, bringing forth emotions that are normally not exposed in an everyday scenario. Perhaps you may have opened a letter in the mail or read an email about something that affected your finances, or you were informed about the passing of a loved one. There are many things that you could get a hold of here, but I would just ask you not think about the event, but the reaction.
Begin to pray and seek God to prepare you for the “next time”. Sometimes we will have a good run for a while before something else will arise, but God wants us praying daily and continually so that we can abide in all of the benefits of the spirit. By doing this I can boldly guarantee that you will handle the situation much better than you would have without prayer and a guarded heart!