I had a close to an hour call with a friend of mine who is more like a brother and we discussed the uncertainties of life. How we can dream and plan according to that dream but before we know it, as we make steps towards this dream in our optimism, it suddenly be ripped away from us.
In these moments we can find ourselves doubting and overthinking.
Who can relate to this event?
Friends, have you found yourself in this exact predicament? I am talking about the feeling of being stuck. You want to move forward and your spirit is ready for more, but it just feels like you are in a cycle.
Am I talking to someone?
Today we’re going to study a case together. This friend I am talking about who, in all trying, found the favor of God and eventually was released from a detention center he was held captive in to be deported outside of the States for being an illegal immigrant.
We are going to look carefully at what this special individual did to beat his case in court in a time where legality and politics would argue that anyone who is illegal must be deported.
We are going to find hope. But more than anything, we will look deeply at the character of God and His mercy.
In spite of all circumstances, He alone has good plans for us. And at last His word stands above all and never returns to Him void. (Isaiah 55:11, Jeremiah 29:11)
A Mind That Wins All…
I believe to really win in this life you almost have to have extraordinary faith. You know the saying that says, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you’ll land among the stars.” This is the mentality that we see in those who have done extraordinary things.
Like Steve Harvey, for example, who states his success comes from dreaming big. He came from a lower class family with stuttering challenges, yet went on to become a world-renowned comedian who owned several television shows. And all of this came from his faith and his application to several scriptures, such as Habakkuk 2:2-3.
He wrote down everything, and because of this he saw the hands of God move in his life. His faith was active.
Friend, what if I said that this is the faith that God responds to. In scriptures it says that it is impossible to please God without faith. (Hebrews 11:6)
A Deeper Look at Faith…
This is also the same kind of faith my dear brother who was detained had in a space that felt uncertain.
As I continued to dig his mind during this call, you could hear his terror from being uprooted. He would never be the same. And maybe that’s a good thing.
You see many of us experience challenges and don’t considering that often that’s where we are built.
I liken it to gold, for example. It’s found in the depths of the soil, pulled out, buffed, then crushed, then buffed, pressed, buffed again, and lastly sold for a high price. It’s the same concept with diamonds.
If we allow ourselves to go through life yielding to its process, our value will then increase.
As I continued to converse with my friend, in spite of the terror he experienced, you still hear refined faith that has been produced through perseverance.
When I proceeded to inquire more, what I took away as the highlight of his experience was his relationship with God, which shifted and became “conversational”. You see, my friend had experienced God in a certain way in the past which was usually structured and maintained. But God did something different in his life to reveal a different angle to him.
See, we wouldn’t know we needed God as Jehovah Jirah, the provider, unless circumstances revealed that, or that we needed God as Jehovah Rapha, the healer, unless again our circumstances revealed that. We can begin to experience God differently based on different occurrences which can purify our faith.
So in this conversation, what my friend revealed was that his relationship with the Most High moved from religious to raw.
You see God wants to be in the dirt with us as we dig our way out. Christ wants us to share our experience with Him because it makes for an intimate connection with Him.
And we may wonder why it is that we go through obstacles, and that’s because it’s often in these spaces that God marks us. These experiences reveal the integrity of our faith so that as we come to the end of our lifelong journey, our lives may one day be counted among the “hall of faith”.
So in short, all things work for the good (Romans 8:28). In the pursuit of our journey, gazing our focus on hope as we continue to strive allows for a more smoother journey whereby we experience small victories along the way. Whereas, speaking discouragement and highlighting only our pain will create bitterness.
So I encourage you to sit with yourself today and reflect upon the areas where you can have faith in God to pull you through. Slowly begin to shift your mindset and come into alignment mentally for what it is you desire to see happen physically.
As you continue to persevere and endure with patience, life itself will eventually begin to shift and be better than you first knew it.
