Full transparency: I haven’t been as open as I should be. I’ve been holding back significantly and it’s been reflected in my writing practice.
My writing process has been different. God has been challenging me to go deeper and further into the word and spend more time dissecting it. I haven’t been able to glimpse over a few scriptures and shell out a blog post hence my posting being inconsistent.
God is going to stretch me because that’s what I asked for, because that’s what I need in order to experience Him and meet Him deeper and because that’s the only way I can make it the next level. Stretching leads to growth.
Sometimes, I find myself getting discouraged when things don’t go my way or certain things don’t come to pass and I find myself especially discouraged while waiting. Even when I started writing this, it wasn’t coming from a good place, but God changed that and I was moved to write about his promises.
What the Word Says
He promised to give us the desires of our hearts. Psalm 37:4-5 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
He promised never to leave or forsake us. Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
He promised to meet our needs. Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
He promised to fight for us. Exodus 14:14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.
He promised that the weapons wouldn’t prosper. Isaiah 54: 17 No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
But He promised that we would prosper. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
He promised that our work wouldn’t be in vain. James 1:12 Blessed is the one who preservers under trial because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. Paul reaffirms this in 1 Corinthians 15:28 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
No One Said It Would Be Easy
I do believe the hardest thing is knowing when to press forward or when to fall back but that’s when discernment comes in. God will not bless anything that won’t ultimately give Him glory. Think about that as you pray and seek God’s blessings. Ask and pray for what you want but work towards it. If it’s not in line with what God has for you, He’ll stop it.
I don’t believe God places dreams in our hearts for us to not see them come to pass. Now the path may not be as wide and open and straight as we expected and it will more than likely manifest completely different from what we imagined but it will come to pass. When things aren’t looking great, it’s important to remains steadfast and faithful. He didn’t bring you this far to leave you so you must learn to trust and surrender to His process. He’s doing above and beyond your wildest dreams.
When I pray, I pour it all out but more importantly, I pray for His will to be done. Think if I was so focused on what I wanted that I completely ignored what God wanted. At the end of the day, all I want is for Him to work through me and for His will to be done in my life. I don’t want to selfishly block it by having tunnel vision and missing out on blessings along the way because I don’t want to make any stops along the way.
Along your journey, there will be times that you have to wait on God. During those moments is when your faith will be tested and strengthened. Waiting on God doesn’t mean sit and do nothing but to remain steadfast when things look grim and to not grow weary while doing good. It means to remember that He promised to never leave you or forsake you and that He will always keep his promises to you.
Apply God’s word to your life so that your faith may be strengthened. Let His word guide you and be with you through the ups and down. Remember his promises when you get discouraged and face trials. Rejoice in the fact that you win in the end no matter how things look in right now. God has already worked everything out for your victory; you’re merely going through a process to revel God’s glory and mold you.
