Preparing Our Hearts For The Holidays!

Preparation matters. When we think of the preparation we put into temporary things, it’s a good reminder to prepare spiritually. The Holidays can be wonderful for some, and the hardest part of the year for others. We can be sure there will be blessings, opportunities, and trials.

God assigned feasts that pointed to Him. I’m not at all opposed to our holiday season, but it is manmade, not God ordained. With that said, we can look for ways during any season to keep our focus on Christ, making it a fruitful and joyful time.

Look at this comparison of two kings. 2 Chronicles 20:3 tells of Jehoshaphat who set himself to seek the LORD. He received instruction and great victory that glorified God. In 2 Chronicles 12:14 Rehoboam did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD. He lost a large portion of his kingdom. We can’t afford the omission of heart preparation. The good news is, that while we may have to set our own table for a physical feast, Psalm 10:17 reminds us that we can do nothing, including preparing our hearts, without Him,

"LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble;

You will prepare their heart;

You will cause Your ear to hear…”

We’ll continue to look at preparing our hearts for this season in upcoming posts. For today, let’s meditate on the following verse and allow God to speak to us,

“Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying,

‘If you return to the LORD with all your hearts,

then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you,

and prepare your hearts for the LORD,

and serve Him only;

and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.’”

1 Samuel 7:3