Have you ever found that perfect recipe? You know the one. It’s staring at you from a perfectly set table on a magazine page. It looks amazing. You look over the ingredient list. Not too bad. The instructions sound a little bit harder than Taco Tuesday but you think you can handle it. I’m going to make it! My family will think I’m a rock star when they try this. About halfway through the process, you’re staring at a mess in the kitchen and your concoction is looking nothing like what the gourmet chef presented on that page. Doubt starts to creep in. Maybe I took on more than I could handle? Basically, the finished product is not before our eyes. It’s in the works. We’re not fully convinced it’s going to be right. This is not what we expected. Isn’t life the exact same way? 

For we live by believing and not by seeing (‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬ NLT). Welcome to Christianity 101. We have our lives planned out. We “know” what things should look like. The perfect marriage. Perfect kids. A super cute house with a picket fence. You get the idea. And that’s exactly what it is. It’s our idea! The Lord usually has other plans. They involve training us up to be a citizen of Heaven. God gives us the basic foundation for a life spent following Him. He has promises all throughout His Word to take care of us. He also assures us that things will be tough on this side of Heaven. And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” (‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭31‬:‭8‬ NKJV) He’s telling us specifically not to dwell on what we see around us. Trust that He’s with us and is not going anywhere. Don’t become frightened or panic. He’s got this! But how many times do we hit a bump in the road and freak out? God, where are you? Why is this happening? Are we fully convinced that we can trust His promises when things aren’t looking so good?

A man named Abraham in the Old Testament was promised a son by the Lord. He and his wife, Sarah, had not been able to have children. The couple was already up in years when God made this promise. Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises (‭Romans‬ ‭4‬:‭20-21‬ NLT). Did you know that he was 100 years old before that child was born? That’s crazy! But that’s God. He IS true to His Word. Encourage yourself with this fact. If He says it, then it is so. He never gives us the exact time but His Word stands when nothing else will. God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? (‭Numbers‬ ‭23‬:‭19‬ NLT) This is the God we serve. He knows what He’s doing and exactly how it should be carried out. 

So, I encourage you to find a scripture that speaks to you about whatever situation you find yourself in and meditate on it. Remind the Lord that it’s His Word and you’re standing on it. You may not see anything happening for a while but rest assured, Jesus is working on your behalf. His Word and His Will are the same thing so you don’t have to be concerned if it’s His Will or not. Trust the process. He’s building your spiritual muscles. Don’t give up. Stay the course. In due time, you will be fully convinced.

Today’s guest writer is Brandi Crowe. A hairdresser for over 25 years, she is currently the owner of Brandi Crowe salon in Buford, GA. She loves hiking, a good cup of coffee, and spending time with family and friends. Brandi lives in a custom farmhouse with her husband Robby and cat Harold.