Just in Time

I love the story of the mount of transfiguration, which happens to be what I was reading this morning in Mark 9. I usually get a chuckle out of Peter's response because it's just such a typical human response to an awkward situation. Let me back up.

In this story, Jesus asked Peter, James and John to go with him up to a high mountain, away from everyone else. Here, these three disciples had the amazing experience of seeing Jesus transformed from his earthly body in his heavenly form, "..and he was transfigured before them, and his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them". As if that wasn't enough, "and there appeared unto them Eilias (Elijah) and Moses: and they were talking to Jesus".

Don't just glitz over this. Maybe you have heard this story a thousand times, but think about this. Can you just imagine? Wow! What an experience. If this didn't prove Jesus, nothing would. If this didn't prove resurrection, nothing would. What would my response have been? It's hard to say. I suspect I would have been perhaps speechless and in a dead faint; or if I managed to stay on my feet, I may have eventually felt compelled to some sort of action as Peter did. He surmised it was good for them to be there and then suggested they build three tabernacles -- one for Jesus, one for Elias and one for Moses. Brilliant! He was afraid. And I would have been as well.

This was an amazing revelation Jesus gave them to prepare them for his coming death and subsequent resurrection. They would need the assurance of who Jesus is as well as the assurance of the resurrection to give them hope during the dark hours between Jesus' death and resurrection. But, at the moment of the revelation, they really didn't know what to do with it.

As I read this account this morning, I started to recall some specific things God has revealed to me over the years. Often He has re-taught me a truth that struck me in a deeper or slightly different way than it had before. Often, those truths were in direct preparation for an upcoming situation in my life. Those are sweet, intimate times with my Father.

I also thought of how often my strongest desire is to take that revelation and act on it immediately. I become like Peter...since I have this great truth now, I must DO something about it. And then my flesh takes over and if I don't heed the "whoa" of the Holy Spirit, I can create one huge mess! Lesson -- wait on God. He is precious to prepare us and we must remember that it is sometimes days, weeks, months or even years before that piece of preparation finds its proper place in the puzzle of our life.