Preparation for Presentation

It is entirely worthy of our attention that from the time of Jesus' birth into the world to the next time we hear of Him in Scripture, twelve years pass by silently.  We have no information as to what events were taking place in His life during that time.  We can certainly make some assumptions that He was learning the skill of carpentry from His earthly father, Joseph, since Joseph was himself an accomplished carpenter.  Later in the Scriptures we learn that Jesus had brothers and sisters, so we can assume that He was learning how to get along within a family unit.  We are told that He honored his parents throughout His life, so we can assume that He probably underwent some discipline in training throughout His childhood.  All of these are assumptions, but none of them are chronicled for us in the Bible.  We know only one thing for sure and certain:  Jesus was being prepared by His earthly parents and by His Heavenly Father for the ministry to which He had been called from the very beginning of time.  That preparation was, perhaps, not only for Christ's benefit, but even for the benefit of those around Him.  Surely, those who knew Jesus as a child, a teenager, and a young man must have witnessed the changes that were taking place in His life as God prepared Him for the work ahead.

My husband is quite an accomplished carpenter himself.  He has designed and built some beautiful pieces of furniture for our home and for the homes of our children.  His work has blessed us all.  As his wife (probably the closest to him of anyone), I can tell you that a great deal of preparation goes into those labors of love long before they are ever presented to the public.  Bob takes time to draw up detailed plans (using some skills he learned way back in his high school years).  Then, he goes to the store and sorts carefully through the wood available to him, choosing only those pieces he sees as top quality and worthy of his project.  Back in his shop, he tediously prepares the wood, cuts and shapes, sands and re-sands each piece, until it is ready to be used.  Much labor goes into fitting each piece with the others, securing it into place, and then sanding some more to prepare them all for their final finish.  Even applying the chosen stain requires multiple coats followed by multiple sandings.  Eventually, after dedication and devotion, he is ready to present the finished piece to the world.  Trust me, it has always been worth the wait.

When we become believers in Jesus Christ and are saved by His atoning blood, a period of preparation follows.  Bit by bit God begins to separate in our lives that which is good and useful to Him from that which will only mar the finished product.  Our Lord patiently follows the plan that was laid out for us from the moment of our conception:

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord.  "Plans to profit you, not to harm you; 

plans for a hope and a future."  

(Jeremiah 29:11)

Day by day God uses the events of our lives to fashion the finished product that He wishes to present to our world.  Sometimes the process is grueling, as He cuts away all those things that will only hinder our growth and maturity in the faith.  The sanding is tedious and difficult to endure, but necessary in order to rid us of the rough edges and splinters of our personality.  With each step of preparation we come closer and closer to that final completed work of God that will bear witness to the Carpenter's skills.  The time of preparation is vital.

If you are experiencing a time of preparation in your life, as I am even now in mine, I encourage you to embrace the process.  Trust in the skills of the Carpenter.  Believe in the plan He has for you.  Yield yourself to whatever refining must take place, knowing that ultimately you will be presented holy and blameless and useful for the Kingdom in God's perfect time.  Praise your Heavenly Father every day for the preparation process.  Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that "to everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven."  Perhaps this is the season when God will present you to your world.  Perhaps there is still preparation which you must undergo.  Remember that wherever you are in life, Christ is there with you.  He knows every step you must take and every refining process you must endure if you are to reach fullness in your faith and power in your witness to those around you.

"And although you at one time were estranged and alienated from Him and were of hostile attitude of mind in your wicked activities, yet now has [Christ, the Messiah] reconciled [you to God] in the body of His flesh through death, in order to present you holy and faultless and irreproachable in His [the Father's] presence."

(Colossians 1: 21-22)