In addition to preparing our minds and our hearts, the third action we should embrace as we welcome God’s plan for our future is to ready our hands. Just as Jewish worshippers washed their hands during Mikvah as a way of asking the Lord to purify their deeds, so we, as those who are seeking His will for our lives, should invite Him to make right the things that we do. Since our actions flow from what we most value, the more our hearts are transformed into the likeness of Jesus, the easier it is to act in a manner that reflects His priorities. But certain habits and hangups can linger, even after the Lord tells us that they are not His best. Because we are by nature prideful and stubborn people, it can be difficult to surrender behaviors that bring us pleasure or comfort. In fact, letting these things go is challenging because it requires us to believe that He will replace them with something better. However, when we decide to take our Heavenly Father at His Word and hand Him every futile attempt to satisfy ourselves, the Holy Spirit unlocks a boon of spiritual treasure that is more exhilarating and fulfilling than anything we can manufacture in our own power.

My friend, what are you holding on to? Are there habits or addictions God is asking you to give up? Is there a job you need to leave because it’s not His best? Or does habitual sin still haunt you? If so, now is the time to surrender those things so your hands are free to receive Christ’s exceeding abundance for the next season. When you become a person of passionate faith that is demonstrated in action, your Savior will pour out a stream of blessing whose Kingdom force cannot be stopped or contained. By emptying your life of what’s temporary and clinging to what’s eternal, you are positioned to move into the future with Godly authority and confidence.