“Sometimes, His answer is laced in the details,” a wise woman once told me in response to my desperate plea for guidance a few years ago. When seeking direction concerning some MAJOR decisions in my life, I desired clear, precise answers. I basically wanted the Lord to write His answer on the wall or speak to me in my dreams. I wanted an answer that wouldn’t challenge my faith. As we know, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things NOT seen” (Hebrews 11:1). It doesn’t take faith to believe in what’s clearly written in front of you.
When I was seeking a church home after relocating, I had visited almost 10 churches looking for somewhere that felt like my home church; somewhere that I would be fed, held accountable, and welcomed. Although I visited many, it was only one where I was approached about getting connected, involved and using my gifts in ministry. They said that I had been visiting long enough and that it was time to get connected. While God didn’t visit me in a dream and tell me that that is where I was supposed to be, His answer was in the details.
I am certain that your lessons, tests, and destiny are laced in the details of the process that God has assigned to you. It is not uncommon to want to ask, “God, why? Why did this happen to me? Why am I going through this?” It’s because your process is tailored uniquely for you. Every mistake, heartbreak, failure, victory, and triumph is a part of your process. Each one is designed to either teach us something, show us something about ourselves, strengthen us, empower us, or prove the necessity of Jesus in our lives.
Remember, God is required to PROVIDE for His PROMISE…that includes the process that He has chosen for us. If He has called you to be victorious, then He MUST give you a way to victory (granted that we act according to HIS will and not our own). To trust God is a daily decision. Faith isn’t for fashion, it’s for survival. His process for you was ALWAYS a part of His plan for you. When you can't bring yourself to trust this process, trust the God OF the process.
Jeremiah 29:11,
I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
Bri
You would think that when life is great, it should be very easy to trust in God. Well for me, I always seem to find myself worrying about my next move even when everything in my life is going smoothly. That has been something that I have actively had to work on. Trusting God's timing as well as his plan for my life.
Lately, I've found myself very intimidated being newly enrolled into this new doctoral program at the the University of Memphis. Leading up to my first week, I found myself having mini panic attacks, becoming restless, and even had a loss of appetite (which NEVER happens, I'm a total foodie). I just couldn't get a grasp on my nerves.
When you have been the most independent person in your own life, it can be difficult to place important decisions into someone else's hands. It can be even more difficult when things aren't going well. You may feel the unction' to even “help God out”.
Sometimes I find myself trying figure out an escape route or creating an emergency plan even when things are great, just in case. It's complete instinct. 'Well, Monique if this program doesn't work you can always do something else. You're great at, ‘A, B, & C' so no worries.” Instead of believing what God has spoken over my life, I find myself becoming more obsessed with the back-up plan than focusing on my current blessing.
It wasn't until I went to retrieve my orientation materials from my department's administrative associate that I realized that God intentionally placed me where I am today. As I began to start my rant on how nervous I was, she looked at me and said, "Monique, no need to be nervous you belong here like everyone else." She continued to say, "I look at every application that comes in. Trust me, they REALLY wanted you. You had a very strong application and we only accept 7-9 students. We had over 100 impressive applications and yours stood out to them. You'll be fine. It's not supposed to be easy but you will do great." Her simple words reminded me that God is concerned about my every thought. I had really told people that I was afraid of being inferior, but it was a secret torment. God rectified my thoughts through her words confirming that He qualified me long before the thought of being a candidate of the program. His promises didn't change just because my thoughts about myself did and it reminded me to just trust the process.
Upon completing my first week of school with my nerves on a hundred, I kept reminding myself that God placed me here. Although I am a bit timid, my faith is much stronger than any intimidation. So I'm saying to you, sis, God’s promise is always in His process. It has to be your decision to trust Him at His word and to completely trust His process. Remember Isaiah 26:3 says,
"You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!"
There is no worry in trust. When we worry about anything, we have not submitted it to God. So I simply ask that you trust His process in your life as well!
Be blessed,
Moe