Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
(Deuteronomy 8:2)
We learn from our culture that success owes to effective planning and execution. We absorb this value just by living in our world. However, God purposes to build his kingdom in ways that are different from the ways the world generally works because the kingdom is a new creation, not part of the old one (2 Corinthians 5:17). It’s a new world order (Isaiah 65:17). And therefore, it is very important to God that we, as citizens of his better, heavenly country, do not rest our faith “in the wisdom of man but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:5). Consequently, we should be ready to well accept things when they do not result the way we planned to.
So, if something is not going on the way you think it was supposed to, don’t panic. God knows how to take what was meant for harm and turn it into your advantage. He may not deliver you from it, but He will prosper you in it.
Being in the wilderness is a test. Going through things you don’t understand, things that are not fair, that shows what your character is. That shows what you are capable of handling. How much God can trust you with. How much influence you can carry, how much responsibility He can give you. What you do in the tough time will determine how high you rise.
Don’t fight the closed doors, the disappointments, the people that walked away, you don’t know what God is up to. Keep doing the right things, keep believing it’s not going to take for good, keep being your best. The victory is at the corner, the cure is about to happen, the promotion is right there, the right person is coming soon.
Don’t forget, he exists, he has everything under control, and he rewards those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6). He wants his people not to depend on their own wisdom, but to be prayerful, watchful, and responsive in faith when he works in unexpected ways.
Prayer: Lord, help me accept the things I cannot change, give me the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, and being grateful for the blessing of living. In Jesus’ name, amen.
