god is a god of process
I have always been so quick in receiving God's promises for me, and so high in faith in believing that He will fulfill His promises. What I lacked though was the understanding that there is a phase in between the receiving of the promise and the fulfillment of the promise.
When I first got a revelation from the Lord on who my husband was going to be, I believed His Word instantly. I was so excited about it and proclaimed to everybody I knew that I was going to get married and my man was coming to get me. Months passed, and even years passed, and all I had were frustrations and hurts. I was still single.
When I first found out that my calling was to preach and teach, I thought I was going to be some Joyce Meyer right away. I started with some friends in a home Bible study and then moved to being the head of our church's women's ministry, then God gave me the stewardship of a ministry for women's prison and police camp, then He moved me to the U.S. to pastor a church with my husband, and until now I am not even half close to becoming a Joyce Meyer.
When I first found out that my calling was to preach and teach, I thought I was going to be some Joyce Meyer right away. I started with some friends in a home Bible study and then moved to being the head of our church's women's ministry, then God gave me the stewardship of a ministry for women's prison and police camp, then He moved me to the U.S. to pastor a church with my husband, and until now I am not even half close to becoming a Joyce Meyer.
When I started tithing and sowing seeds into other ministries, I thought I was going to be financially blessed soon. God has always provided for my needs, brought me to the U.S., gave me other material blessings, but I am still far as to where He promised I will be.
As a young Christian, years ago, all I heard from prosperity preachers was that God was going to bless me if I sow seeds into their ministries. I also heard preachings on how God heals, how He restores, how He fulfills His promises, but nobody talked about the process. I remember Joyce Meyer talking about "enjoying where you are to the place where you're going", but I had no clue as to how long it would take.
As a young Christian, years ago, all I heard from prosperity preachers was that God was going to bless me if I sow seeds into their ministries. I also heard preachings on how God heals, how He restores, how He fulfills His promises, but nobody talked about the process. I remember Joyce Meyer talking about "enjoying where you are to the place where you're going", but I had no clue as to how long it would take.
It all came to me when I was waiting to be with my husband, after already waiting so long just to be married to him. After we were married in my country, the Philippines, I thought it would just take me months to be with him in his country, the U.S. I had my suitcase packed as early as March 2008 and I finally made it to this country in January of 2009. I got literally exhausted from waiting too long. I wasn't prepared for the wait. That's when I realized that there is an "in between", a "neither here nor there" season. And what I've learned in that journey, I am sharing with you now.
When God gives a promise or a vision, He gives it to you to look forward to. It may be a near future or distant future, but most of the time it is a distant future. It normally starts big or what I call a macro vision, and as you move forward it starts becoming more detailed or what I call a micro vision.
When God gave Abraham a vision, He said that he was going to be the father of many nations. Now that was macro. Then He told Abraham that he was going to father a son... now this was getting clearer and more defined. But then, Abraham, with limited faith, believed his wife Sarah when she said that he should get her maid pregnant. Thus was the birth of Ishmael. However, since he was not the child who God was talking about, He then gave Abraham a second chance. This time, the vision was much clearer. It had a date. In Genesis 18:14, God told Abraham: "I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son". When Isaac was a young child, God told Abraham, as per the advice of his wife Sarah, to send Hagar and Ishmael away. The next incident was God asking Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac.
Do you see a pattern here? First was the promise... then was the hasty and lack of faith move of Abraham that produced a result that was not from God... then was the 2nd chance but clearer vision this time... then was the cleansing and pruning from the mistake made... and then was the final test of faith. This, I believe, is the complete cycle from the time God gives a promise to the time that we inherit the promise.
The "in-between" time or what I love to call as the "neither here nor there" situation is the toughest place to be in. This is exactly what the Israelites faced when they were in between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army. This is a season in our lives when we can't go back to where we came from but we can't even proceed to where we are going. It's almost like a trap or some limbo.
Do you see a pattern here? First was the promise... then was the hasty and lack of faith move of Abraham that produced a result that was not from God... then was the 2nd chance but clearer vision this time... then was the cleansing and pruning from the mistake made... and then was the final test of faith. This, I believe, is the complete cycle from the time God gives a promise to the time that we inherit the promise.
The "in-between" time or what I love to call as the "neither here nor there" situation is the toughest place to be in. This is exactly what the Israelites faced when they were in between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army. This is a season in our lives when we can't go back to where we came from but we can't even proceed to where we are going. It's almost like a trap or some limbo.
Knowing that God is a God of process will help you in going through this waiting season. Understanding the process will make it even easier for you. As to what you should do during this season, here is my godly advice.
1. Let this time draw you closer to Jesus.
2. Let it prepare you for the coming season.
3. Learn everything you need to learn. Don't repeat the same mistakes or the journey will be longer.
4. Let God expose your issues. Remember, the deeper your issues are, the longer the waiting time will be. And the more you resist the exposition and healing, the longer it will even take.
5. Immerse yourself in the Word of God.
6. Keep a journal and record everything you are learning.
7. Take some photos of you or even videos. You can use this as a testimony in the future.
8. Write down your experiences. You can use this for a future book.
9. Minister to others who are going through the same thing. This will help strengthen you.
10. Write poetry or some lyrics to a song on what you are going through.
11. Use this time to fellowship with other believers.
Maximize this time to the fullest. When you are finally where you are, you may not have this luxury of time again.
2. Let it prepare you for the coming season.
3. Learn everything you need to learn. Don't repeat the same mistakes or the journey will be longer.
4. Let God expose your issues. Remember, the deeper your issues are, the longer the waiting time will be. And the more you resist the exposition and healing, the longer it will even take.
5. Immerse yourself in the Word of God.
6. Keep a journal and record everything you are learning.
7. Take some photos of you or even videos. You can use this as a testimony in the future.
8. Write down your experiences. You can use this for a future book.
9. Minister to others who are going through the same thing. This will help strengthen you.
10. Write poetry or some lyrics to a song on what you are going through.
11. Use this time to fellowship with other believers.
Maximize this time to the fullest. When you are finally where you are, you may not have this luxury of time again.
Lisa Maki is the founder/editor of God'z Gurlz webmag. She has over 10 years of ministry experience including pastoring a women's prison; conduct of Bible-based seminars and Bible studies in corporate offices; preaching engagements in churches, police camps, schools, and other organizations; outreach programs for poor families and children; and pastoring a church. Lisa is also a Professional Writer/Consultant with over 15 years of experience in this field.
