Our God is a God of preparation. Joseph told Pharaoh that his dream was repeated to show that the thing was "prepared (established) of God." Gen. 41:3232And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. (Genesis 41:32). Here was a God of preparation in providence.
The same is true in nature; "He prepareth rain for the earth." Psa. 147:88Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. (Psalm 147:8); and it is equally true when providence and nature combine. "The Lord prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah." God was the builder of that life-boat. "God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah;" the same God prepared "a worm," and "a vehement east wind" (Jonah 1:17; 4:6, 7, 817Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17)
6And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. 7But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. 8And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live. (Jonah 4:6‑8)).
These thoughts came to me over a cup of tea, thoughts even more refreshing than the beverage. We, a group of Christians were traveling, and in the late afternoon found lodging with a cottager. One of our party got tea ready. The others stood aside, lest too many brewers might spoil the brew. While we sat and enjoyed our tea, one of us thought of a plan by which to preach the Gospel to the woman in whose home we were staying.
"What a number of people have worked to prepare this cup of tea!" he remarked. "Somebody got the kettle and the wood, this good woman boiled the water and scalded the tea leaves, and I poured it out. All that these others have to do is to drink it.”
"You must go farther back," said one of the party, as if afraid present company might get too much credit. "A Chinaman prepared the soil; others planted and tended the plant; others picked, dried, and packed it; still others exported it; sailors brought it over the ocean; merchants bought it; and now -”
"Without doing anything, you gentlemen drink it," said the first speaker.
This was the moment for the application; and it was suggested that, in this, one could discern that the cup of tea was like God's salvation. He did all the preparing, and lost sinners have only to accept and enjoy it.
It was put thus:—"God promised salvation in Eden, it was prophesied throughout the Old Testament, it was perfected by Jesus Christ Himself, and now it is proffered by the Holy Spirit. All we have to do is to `take the cup of salvation,' and be refreshed and saved.”
How difficult it is to get thirsty sinners to see that God prepares this cup! They must, they imagine, bring their own sugar or milk; or at least they must bring their own mugs. No; God, who prepared a body for Jesus (Heb. 10:55Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: (Hebrews 10:5)), prepares a perfect salvation through Jesus. He treats us as Queen Esther treated the king, and says, "Come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared" (Esther 5:44And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him. (Esther 5:4)). Since bidden ones would want more than a mere invitation, He says: "Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fallings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage." Matt. 22:44Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. (Matthew 22:4). The preparation is all on God's side. "Thou preparest a table before me." Psa. 23:55Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. (Psalm 23:5).
But we have left the tea-table for a dinner-table. Let us get back to our china cup. As the lady of the house did not seem very clear as to whether she had really received God's salvation, we presented a further illustration directly to her.
"It would not say much for our tea, if these friends, all the evening, were in doubt whether you had served them. Suppose someone asked them, 'Have you had a cup of tea?' And they answered, 'I'm not quite sure; I half think I have, but I am very uncertain.' Will they talk like that? Would it be complimentary to you if they did?”
"No, sir, I should think not.”
"Nor is it to God's praise if, having drunk of His pardoning grace, it has so little refreshed us that we doubt if we have ever tasted it. We must first drink what He has prepared, and then from a grateful heart extol the richness of the cup.”
Our God is a God of preparation. "Eye hath not seen what He hath prepared" (Isa. 64:44For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. (Isaiah 64:4); 1 Cor. 2:99But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)); but it includes "a place" here, into which He will bring us (Ex. 23:2020Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. (Exodus 23:20)), and "a place" which He has gone to prepare for us yonder (John 14:22In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)); "a city" (Heb. 11:1616But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. (Hebrews 11:16)), and "a kingdom" (Matt. 25:3434Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (Matthew 25:34)), which "shall be given to them for whom it is prepared" (Matt. 20:2323And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. (Matthew 20:23)).
I do not even have to get my heart into a right state to receive God's provision, for "the preparation of the heart in man... is from the Lord" (Prov. 16:11The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord. (Proverbs 16:1)). I take God's salvation in all its preparedness, and He takes me in all my unpreparedness.
"No preparation can I make,
My best resolve I only break,
Yet save me for Thine own name's sake,
And take me as I am!”
"As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live.”