Face Time

When we spend time in God's presence and give him real, genuine face time, He speaks. If we position ourselves to listen and hear His voice we will see that one word from God can change our lives forever.

Sometimes though, there is a lengthy delay and many battles to overcome between promise and fulfillment so we can become discouraged.

Don't!

When we are going trials it feels like God is not present. It feels as though we have been abandoned but we have to remember that God actually does allow trials to come. It's not because He is being mean or He doesn't want to protect us. It is because many times the trial is a necessary part of our journey.

In fact, James tells us to consider it PURE JOY when we face trials of many different kinds. Why? Because trials produce in us a tenacious perseverance and perseverance has some work to do in us SO THAT we will become mature and complete, NOT LACKING ANYTHING. (James 1:2-4)

That means, if the trial has been allowed to come and hit our lives, there must be something we are lacking that God wants us to have.

The thing is, God is growing us up and that is part of His job as a Father BUT, unlike our natural parents, God has supernatural insight into our future and the battles we will need to face. So, when He allows a trial to hit our life, He is strategically preparing us for something greater.

There will be a battle over the horizon that we will need the tools and fortitude to be able to overcome.

Every time God gives us a fresh word, vision or prophecy, we will have an opportunity to go through the trial which will prepare us for that next level.

It is important that we don't go into victim mode. Instead, this is the time to make a call up to heaven and have some genuine face time with our Father.

He will give us the word and the wisdom and often the piece of humble pie we need to prepare us for the next leg of the journey.

If we don't allow the Holy Spirit to work humility in us we will not be able to carry the fullness of our call. God is too loving and kind to put us in a position we are not equipped for, SO, what He will do instead is keep letting us face trial until that thing that is needed in our lives is worked in us.

Some of us may feel like we've been beat up for a long time. Perhaps it is time to stop licking our wounds and to start instead to become fortified for the fight and overcome the next trial with Holy Ghost fire.

This is not the time to give up or throw in the towel.

It is critical that we don't give up in the waiting, even though the fulfilment of promise seems too far off or even impossible. Remember Habakkuk's warning in Hab. 2:3. The vision is for an APPOINTED TIME. That means there is a SET season for it to be brought to fulfillment. We probably are just on the cusp of your season. You don't want to quit right before the end do you?

Habakkuk goes on to say, "Though it tarries, WAIT for it. For it will SURELY come to pass, it will not delay." That is an expectant waiting, not a waiting laden with doubt and unbelief.

Often times what looks like the death of the promise or dream is actually a season in which a maturing of ourselves must take place so that we can be prepared for what is to come.

It may feel difficult in the moment, but it is necessary and James is right, we better be filled with genuine joy about it because the weight of a promise that we are not ready for will bring death instead of victory to all involved.

Each of us must be willing to go through a maturation process.

Joseph had to wait decades for the fulfilment of his dreams. However we can clearly see that when he was ready for it and at the appointed time God worked all things together for Joseph's good. Why? Because he remained faithful and committed to the Lord in the midst of every stage of tragedy he endured.

The dream was never dead, it was just dormant during the maturation so that then God could resurrect it at the appointed time and get all the glory for the miraculous salvation of not only Joseph and his family, but for two entire nations as well.

Regardless of what you are going through, God has something in mind that is MUCH greater than what you were believing for.

Let's have faith and be ready to push through and be victorious in every battle we are called to face. Let's choose to allow God to mature us and be joyful in our journey.

We can't always control our circumstances, but we definitely can choose our attitudes.

Have an amazing week my friends and remember that you are loved and deeply cherished by Jesus and by me.

Photo by Gwen Weustink on Unsplash