“Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.” – Ephesians 3:20 (TPT)
When we experience seasons of loss, financial burden, uncertainty or waiting, we may feel that God is more of a foe than a friend. Is God who He says He is? Or is He the God of the circumstances that I am experiencing?
I recently walked through a season where I questioned just that - ‘Is God always kind to me?’ I had a clear vision about what the next phase of my life should look like, but God didn’t reveal the fruit I was hoping for. My lens became focused on this direction, while God kept nudging me down a different path. In the fall of 2018, I joined The Point’s prayer group, which quickly became one of the biggest blessings of my life. While I continued to ask God to change my circumstance, He slowly but surely changed me.
Through individual and group prayer, He refined in me what it looks like to listen and walk with Him daily. I realized that there were so many areas where God was presenting manna where I never thought He would have. Multigenerational friendships, new service opportunities, a mission trip to Cuba– but most importantly, a deepened trust in Him to “do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (NIV 3:20). God gave me a genuine assurance in my soul to always be my Savior, my Advocate and my Provider.
Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians while he underwent imprisonment in Rome. His letter is filled with joyful truth, encouragement and unwavering faith despite his circumstance. What an incredible example of resting in God’s faithfulness! Instead of immediately filling the empty places in my heart with what I desired, God allowed the empty places to be seen. And that is one of the most kind and loving things He could ever do.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I am thankful that You are always kind and know what we need. Help us to constantly fix our eyes on You. Remove any fear or doubt in our hearts and replace it with a steadfast understanding that Your ways are always good. Help us to lock Your truth and the gift of salvation in our hearts, regardless of our circumstance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.