12/10/2020
TRUSTING GOD’S PROCESS
by Lori Williams
This is a very long post. This has been on me all day and I wanted to share. Read and be encouraged.
For those who find themselves struggling, whether it be in situations or relationships…Trust the process. Trust that God is in the process. Trust that the process is necessary for where He is taking us and our love ones.
As I write, the story of Joseph comes to my remembrance. As a teenager, Joseph was abandoned and sold into slavery by 10 of his jealous brothers. With the Lord’s hand still upon him, he found favor with Potiphar (captain of King Pharaoh’s guards) and was placed in charge over Potiphar’s household. There came a time when things in Joseph’s life were going seemingly well for him. He had already overcome a lot. He went from being placed in a pit and sold into slavery, to having authority over others. After all Joseph had been through, I am sure he was unprepared for this next process in his life. He was falsely accused of attacking Potiphar’s wife and placed into prison.
Can you imagine what he was feeling and what his cries were to the Lord? “WHY?? After ALL I’ve been through! Why are you not coming to my defense? Has not my sacrifice been good enough? Have I not done what you asked me to do? What is it you want from me? What did I do wrong? I just don’t understand why this is happening! What about me attracts these crazy situations?” (Ok, maybe Joseph did not ask that question. That would be for us in our day..lol).
I believe we can all relate to those agonizing questions
as we all have asked those questions at one time or another. I am sure some of the lessons Joseph had to learn, was to trust the process and to trust God’s love for him personally, trusting that his pain would produce something far greater than he could ever imagine.
After interpreting the King’s dream, Joseph was released from prison and promoted by the King himself to oversee all of Egypt. He was placed 2nd in charge of all the Palace and all the land. When Joseph could finally catch his breath, it was probably then that Joseph REALLY knew, ALL what he had been through was necessary. The pain he had experienced was necessary. The heartbreak he experienced was necessary. The process was not sent to break him in half, but to propel Him into his destiny. More importantly, it was to build an intimate and more trusting relationship with our Father.
Many of our processes, we won’t understand while we are in it. So, in this season, let’s take a page from Joseph’s life. Let us not allow the process to be our focus. How will this work out? When will it stop? How long do I have to be in this? Will my life always be like this? Instead let us place our eyes, our hearts back on the One who is Sovereign over all. The One who loves us. The One who is for us – God. Let us be aware when we try to make sense out of things, to somehow gain control, and then lose hope when we cannot understand heads from tails. Let us be aware when we set our hope on people or situations to change and lose heart when it or they don’t change. Let us set our eyes upon the Author and Finisher of our faith. Let us set our eyes upon the One, God - who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we can ask or hope. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Be encouraged. Be filled with hope. Be comforted. Finish the process with a different lens. The same God who came to see about Joseph, the same God who used Joseph’s pain and processes and then promoted him from the pit to the palace, is the same God who knows just how long we need to be in those processes and will come see about us. He has not forgotten us nor is God abandoning our cries. He will use our pain to birth a greater purpose in us and our love ones. He will use the pain to birth a greater trust in Him and love for Him. God does love us! God does love you! And guess what? In Revelations it says, WE DO WIN! Be of good courage!
If you are unfamiliar with the story of Joseph, I encourage you to read it. Read this love story between God and Joseph, to see how God used tragedy to birth forth His Sovereign love in Joseph and birth forth His many promises in Joseph’s life. You can find the story of Joseph in Genesis chapters 37 – 50.
Be Blessed.
