Day 81

Deuteronomy 9–10 | John 12:27–50 | Psalm 35

Today was a work day.

J, Monica, Talacey and I spent hours in their backyard, pulling weeds, moving bricks, hauling chairs, trimming branches—anything that needed doing to get their yard ready for a family wedding this weekend.

And by evening, my hand was throbbing. The sun was setting. We were all sweating through our shirts. But we kept at it. Why?

Because something beautiful is coming.

Tomorrow, that same backyard will be filled with joy. Music. Dancing. Covenant love.

But first comes the preparation.

First comes the work.

And as I opened my Bible tonight, that same theme met me again.

Remembering What We Don’t Deserve

Deuteronomy 9 opens with Moses reminding the Israelites of two things: God’s faithfulness and their failure.

“Do not say in your heart, after the Lord your God has thrust them out before you, ‘It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land.’” (Deuteronomy 9:4)

Translation? You didn’t earn this.

God didn’t choose them because they were impressive. He didn’t bless them because they were better than others. He chose them because He is faithful.

And that reminder still matters today.

Because the minute we start thinking we’ve earned God’s favor, we forget who we are—and who He is.

Moses points back to the golden calf. To the rebellion. To the fact that while God was giving the law on Mount Sinai, the people were already breaking it.

And yet… God stayed.

He didn’t abandon them.

He didn’t revoke the promise.

He gave them new tablets, renewed covenant, and called them forward.

Because God’s mercy isn’t fragile. It isn’t conditional.

It’s rooted in His character.

Preparation Before Glory

In John 12, Jesus is preparing for the cross.

He’s been misunderstood. Rejected. Even now, some believe in Him but won’t say it out loud, because they love the praise of men more than the glory of God (John 12:43).

And yet He presses on:

“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.” (John 12:27)

Jesus knew the agony ahead. He knew what it would cost.

But the joy on the other side was worth it.

Just like the wedding waiting on the other side of our backyard labor, the cross was not the end—it was the preparation for glory.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24)

The kingdom of God always comes through surrender.

Always through sacrifice.

Always through preparation before joy.

The God Who Prepares a People

Back in Deuteronomy, Moses says something striking:

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul…” (Deuteronomy 10:12)

God isn’t just preparing a land. He’s preparing a people.

He’s not just making a place ready. He’s making us ready.

Through hardship.

Through discipline.

Through sanctification.

Because love isn’t just celebrated—it’s cultivated.

And holiness doesn’t happen overnight.

God prepares His people the same way we prepared J’s backyard.

By digging deep.

By pulling out what doesn’t belong.

By making room for something beautiful.

For the Joy Set Before Us

I don’t know what God is preparing me for right now.

But I know the work isn’t wasted.

The pruning has a purpose.

The waiting has weight.

The hard days have hope.

Because God is always working—both in us and for us—to make room for something beautiful.

And one day, the work will give way to worship.

The labor will give way to laughter.

And we’ll see that everything He asked of us was worth it—for the joy of being His.

Lord, keep preparing me. When I want to skip ahead to the celebration, teach me to trust the work You’re doing. Shape me. Purify me. Make me ready for the joy You’ve promised. Because I don’t want to miss what You’re making of me. Amen.