Trust the Process.
These words are the gentle, constant, sweet words of the Lord.
Processes. Goodness, how hard it is to remain content, peaceful, joyful, and rest in the process of waiting on the Lord. By nature, we are doers and goal setters, so we can easily only focus on what our goals are and think that achieving those goals are the main objectives in life and God’s plans for us.
As I recently read “What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself” (Oswald Chambers).
This hit the depths of my heart and soul as I continue to realize that I tend to despise the process and want to get straight to the vision God has given me or the goal at hand.
Constantly over the months as I have been walking through many transitions, I am truly starting to experience and believe that there truly is beauty in the process.
The process is beautiful because it is where we get to see God’s constant presentness. It is where He reveals Himself to us and teaches us how to depend on Him. This is where we learn that His grace is truly sufficient in all things. This is where we discover the truth of His name “I AM”. He is, indeed, the great I AM.
Whatever we are in need of, He is that very thing.
In this life, it is easy to get distracted by hardship, by pressures, by anxieties and concerns, by pursuing things of this world such as man’s approval, possessions, fame, security, relationships, etc. We are in an ever constant temptation to take our eyes off the ultimate prize of Jesus Christ Himself.
The war on our minds and time is very real, and we must recognize this. Life is full of twists and turns leading to opportunities to not trust the Father and believe His words to us and love for us.
Recently I was just journaling and sitting with the Lord, thinking about how hard it is to believe (actively trust) God when I can’t see anything. That’s where the deepening of faith comes in, though.
Believing God has a plan (Jeremiah 29:11).
Believing God’s timing is the best (Ecclesiastes 3:1-11).
Believing God’s ways are better than mine (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Believing that God is actually working for me and not against me (Romans 8:31-32).
Believing God is good and He’s good at being God (Psalm 34:8).
Believing that I can truly have peace in the midst of uncertainty (Philippians 4:6-7).
Believing that God wants to reveal Himself to me in a way that can only come through moments of walking in the dark (Jeremiah 29:13-14).
Etc…
He’s more concerned with our relationship with Him than He is answering our prayers when we want Him to and giving us the answers right away.
I believe it is because we must learn that the Giver is so much better than the “gift” itself.
This continues to teach us how to see the process as a beautiful thing because, again, it is in the process that we encounter and experience the Giver Himself: the very thing our soul needs and desires. Even when we do not have the words or know what to ask or of what we have need, we can trust the Holy Spirit is interceding on our behalf and the Lord already knows (Romans 8:26-27). He simply just wants us to come to Him with the rawness of our hearts.
Trust the process.
I do not know what “process” you are in right now. I am not sure what circumstance, hardship, desire, goal, vision, promise, etc that you are waiting on the Lord to come through and bring to reality. My prayer is that today, whatever you may be facing and wherever you may find yourself that you would just meet with your Father. I pray that you would sit at His feet and offer ALL your heart to Him - thoughts, feelings, fears, concerns, desires, dreams, etc. - and let Him be the Great I AM to you. Let Him lift your head and remind you of His presentness. I pray you would allow Him to love you and walk by your side. I pray that He would begin to reveal to you the beauty of the process and that you would begin to trust Him, His heart, His character, His good plans, and His perfect timing.
Simply be still today and let Him be God, allowing Him to reveal Himself to you.
And then, my friend, trust the process because you know and believe the words, promises, and goodness of One who is in control and sovereign over the process.
Soli Deo gloria.