Every morning I holler and wait on my daughter, who is never ready when it’s time to go. Regardless of whether she got out of bed 5 minutes ago or an hour ago, she’s just not ready. She brushes her hair, puts on her earrings, ties her shoes, and eats breakfast in the car… She comes when I call, but she’s not ready. It feels like I spend half the day waiting on that girl to get ready.
When God called to Moses in Exodus 3:4 Moses said “Here I am” and he was ready. Even after 40 years of tending sheep in the wilderness, Moses had not lost his readiness.
Oswald Chambers wrote about this last week (4/18). “When God speaks, many of us are like people in a fog, and we give no answer. Moses’ reply to God revealed that he knew where he was and that he was ready. Readiness means having a right relationship to God and having the knowledge of where we are. We are so busy telling God where we would like to go.”
That’s me, always telling God where I’d like to go, what I’d like to do. It’s hard to listen to Him when I’m always talking!
“Yet the man or woman who is ready for God and His work is the one who receives the prize when the summons comes. We wait with the idea that some great opportunity or something sensational will be coming our way, and when it does come we are quick to cry out, “Here I am.”
That’s me again, I’m looking to do something big, important for God. Let’s go storm the castle!
“Whenever we sense that Jesus Christ is rising up to take authority over some great task, we are there, but we are not ready for some obscure duty. Readiness for God means that we are prepared to do the smallest thing or the largest thing— it makes no difference.”
Obscure duty, small things. Hmm. Not so glamorous. Be he who is faithful in the small things, will be given even greater responsibility. The small things do matter, I just don’t like the fact that they are obscure. Not noticed. But still important.
“It means we have no choice in what we want to do, but that whatever God’s plans may be, we are there and ready. Be ready for the sudden surprise visits of God. A ready person never needs to get ready— he is ready. Think of the time we waste trying to get ready once God has called!”
Oh Lord Jesus, help me to BE ready to do WHATEVER you call me to do.
* My Utmost for His Highest, free online at http://utmost.org
Mindy Clemons 
While I think we can miss opportunities with God when we’re not paying attention or listening to Him, I think God has a unique sense of timing when He calls. Often He waits until we live through something because that “something” was preparation.
I’d love to see a post about being ready. The how. Does being ready mean simply sitting at the feet of Jesus? (Mary) Or does it mean taking steps of faith and waiting for Jesus to grab our hand when we start to sink? (Peter) Or something else?
Good thought! How do we wait and stay ready?
first thought, i loved it mindy!! thanks!! second thought, the tasks may be obsure, humdrum to man but nonetheless important to God when He has called us to do it(ie. every task a mother does throughout the day!!) third thought, the waiting is essential. as with david, he waited a really long time before he went from being selected to actually being the king….God uses every moment we just have to be intentional in our waiting, knowing that God has it designed!! The being ready is different for each one of us depending on how God calls us, but regardless, when He calls, may we be like the disciples who dropped everything and followed Him immediately!!
Oh, I like the “being ready is different for each one of us” and the “be intentional in our waiting” because God is using every moment. Well said!