The Process of Progress

The Process of Progress

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. – Gal. 6:9

When our progress appears stagnant, we question ourselves, our faith gets tested, and we seek patience and perseverance. Our progress is always in process as we will to do God’s will. The proceedings between any signs of progress vary for each one of us and can be unknown. Knowing this helps us stay on course and stand by faith. 

We might think we have completed all that is necessary to reach a destination and then find we have yet another step. The perception of our beginning might not be accurate. The exact starting point is important in assessing the direction we are taking to a finishing point. Our progress becomes clear as we look at where we have come from, not at the place we have not yet reached.  

In the Lord, each phase is an achievement. We are ready in and out of season. Every development we encounter draws us closer to Christ, our target. We never assume we have already arrived. Humbly, we trust the Lord’s leading moment by moment. We learn to enjoy the journey with peace, truly, from glory to glory

Remember

Remember

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God. Ps. 20:7

After helping her friend many times financially, there came a time when Brenda couldn’t. When that happened, her friend became angry and said, why don’t you ever help me? These crushing words pierced Brenda’s heart. How could one “no” remove all the “yeses” of the past? She forgave her friend, remembering her loving and giving is to be unconditional, like God’s.

People might forget what we have done for them, take it for granted, or even return our gestures of love with contempt. What we do, we do as unto the Lord regardless of the reactions of people. We take our hurt to the Lord and receive His comfort and healing. Most importantly, we watch our own heart and appreciate who others are in our lives and what they do for us.

Above all, we never forget all the Lord has done for us! Remembering how the Lord has brought us out of difficult situations strengthens us to trust Him to do so, again and again. While we know some of what the Lord has done, much we don’t know until after the fact, if at all. Recalling the goodness and faithfulness of God helps us to praise Him, from glory to glory!

New Wine!

New Wine!

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. – Luke 5:37-38

The Lord trains us to let go of the old so we can partake of the new wine He has for us. Because of our familiarity with the old, we do not seek the new. When a parent weans a child from drinking the bottle, the child is unaware of the solid food, or the teeth, he will gain in its place. We do not seek the unknown. 

We may think the old is better because we are used to it. It takes courage to partake of the new. We have become accustomed to many elements in our lives, so we reach forth and desire them because of their familiarity. We might be too quick to say no to the unknown. By God’s grace, we learn to look forward to the unexpected in God.

In Christ, we have new wineskins; the old no longer fit. No matter what the new is, we can trust it is better than the old. We cannot change the steps we took yesterday, nor know our tomorrows, but we can walk step by step into the now by the Spirit of God. We will desire the new as we step into it, from glory to glory!

All Things for Good?

All Things for Good?

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. – Rom. 8:28

Whatever we think God is doing in our lives, we quickly find out He truly is doing much more. It’s as though we walk on a dot-to-dot pathway. With every step we take, a dot connects to another, and the picture becomes clearer. We not only go from dot-to-dot, but we are all like dots that God connects to accomplish His purpose.

We can’t guess what the full picture will be because each dot reveals something new of great importance to the whole. The way each part connects may be unknown, but the way God works all things together for our good can be trusted. We are His workmanship. He cares for us and even though we may not know what our tomorrow holds—we know He holds our tomorrow, and we rest in Him.

We enjoy the journey moving from dot-to-dot knowing the next destination is only a new season, not the end. Even when we think nothing is moving, something is; we are just not aware of it. Constantly trusting there is more to attain helps us remain hopeful and not get discouraged. Going from dot-to-dot means there is more, from glory to glory!

Faithful!

Faithful!

By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. – Heb. 11:11

Sarah received the power to conceive because she counted God faithful in what He had promised her. We, too, receive the anointing to birth the promises of God as we recall His faithfulness. As we look back on how great the Lord has already moved in our lives, we rest assured He is the same today and will move in our lives in the same great and amazing manner.  

We might easily forget what God has done in our past. The obstacles we face today can be overwhelming. When the disciples realized they had only one loaf of bread in their boat, they started being fearful, forgetting the miracle of the multiplication of bread they had recently witnessed. They were looking at the lack of provision instead of looking at the provider who was with them: Jesus. 

Let’s keep our focus on the Lord’s presence in our lives. The moment we look to ourselves, or others, fear tries to quench our faith. We never expect disappointment when we depend on God’s faithfulness. We can depend on Him: His salvation, His healing, His provision, His deliverance, Him! When we recall how faithful God is, our faith is increased, from glory to glory!

Provider!

Provider!

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. – Phil. 4:19

The $500 I still needed for my rent occupied my every thought and gave way to worry. I couldn’t figure out how I was going to pay for it. After a few days that seemed forever, in prayer, I realized I was focusing on what I needed instead of the Lord Jesus, my provider. Instead of heaviness, I felt praise rising and thanked Him for His upcoming provisions.

Our reasonings hinder our faith in God. God’s ways are not our ways; He provides and multiplies supernaturally. We can only believe that it will be done in His timing, His way… and He will be glorified. Our riches can never compare to the riches of the glory in Christ Jesus. Our needs are met according to His riches, not ours. 

Let’s trust the loving care of our Heavenly Father with a childlike faith. Let’s look up to Him, the source of every resource. God is bigger than what we are facing; Higher than what is seen; More glorious than what we can imagine. He is our provider, from glory to glory!