Preparation Time

“nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before me, but right away I departed to Arabia, and then returned to Damascus.”

Galatians 1:17 NET

In this passage, Paul was talking to the Galatians about how he got to where is was at this point in his life. After Paul's conversion, God gave Him his purpose, to preach the word. However God didn't send him out right away. Paul had a little character building and relationship building with God to do. In the next verse, Paul says that he was in Arabia for 3 years. Throughout the Bible there are many times that God has told someone that they are to do something or they will be something, and then a period of time passes before it came to pass. That period of time is meant to be a preparation time. When God tells us our "assignment" or some people like to call it a "calling," but whatever you want to call it, whenever God tells us, most of us will run out right away and try to make it happen. Then we get frustrated because it doesn't happen the way or in the time that we want it to, and then we figure "well, that must not have been God." There is a preparation time between the time when God speaks to us and the time it is fulfilled. That preparation time is really a character building time and a relationship building time with God. God needs to get us to where we need to be to fulfill whatever He is speaking to us about. We need not to get impatient and frustrated during this time because this character bulding time is for us, it is for me and for you. It may be several years before what He has spoken to you comes to pass, but during that time, don't get frustrated or impatient...take that time to learn from Him what you need to learn.

Take Away: when God speaks, we start preparing, then after the preparation time is over, get ready!