“Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” – John 13:7

Have you ever looked back at a situation in your life and realized how perfect God’s timing was?  Maybe it was a time or season of wonderful success.  Maybe it was a time of agonizing waiting and stress.  Or, maybe you didn’t see God’s presence then, but in retrospect, can see His hand at work very clearly.

I find myself in that situation quite a lot.  It seems that when I am neck deep in the activities of life (good or challenging,) I rarely see God in them.  It is only when I take time to reflect on the situations and their outcomes do I see the Master at work.

Why is that?  I don’t know about you, but for me, I am so ruled by my emotions in some cases that I can’t see clearly.  Especially in the distressing instances, I am unable to see all that is going on around me because I am so focused on what is going on inside me.  And I lose sight of God very quickly.

I also find it very difficult to see God at work if He isn’t doing what I want Him to.  It’s true!  So often I find myself seeking and praying for God to perform a mighty act or even a miracle for my circumstances – and He doesn’t.  But I become so focused on what He isn’t doing that I am blinded to what He is doing.  And it isn’t until months (or sometimes years,) later that I can see that His plan was so much better than mine.

Whenever I am in bad places, I am always looking forward to the future, when things will get better.  I am never looking for God in the bad.  After all, if God were there, it would not continue to be bad would it??  Surely if He was engaged in my troubles, He would fix them wouldn’t He?  So I choose to look ahead and be hopeful for what is to come.

God spoke to me last night and showed me how wrong I am to think this way.  I had an amazing dream, that I believe to be from Him.  And I awoke with the resounding message in my head:

“Don’t rush what I am doing.  You may not understand it.  But trust me and live in this moment.  I am here and will bless you in it.”

Seriously, that is what I heard.  Can it be that God wants to bless me in all situations and not just “the good ones?”  How much have I missed in this life rushing through the uncomfortableness just to get to the “good times?”  Wow!  That is a revelation to me.  And I hope it helps you too.  We serve an awesome God don’t we?

The fact is, life is full of good and bad.  And we have very little control over it.  But Our Father in heaven is impressing upon me that I will miss so much by only living for the good.  Difficulties are never easy.  But I believe there are still places to be thankful in those seasons.  And there are still places to experience the wondrous provision of God in those places.  We just have to calm our hearts and look for them.  We have to stop being so inwardly focused and look for what is going on around us to see Him at work.

Be blessed my friends, no matter what circumstance you find yourself in today.  Our Lord and Savior is with you.

Oh Holy One,

Thank You for never leaving nor forsaking us.  We are your people, the sheep of your pasture.  Forgive us for those times that we cannot see You; for worries cloud our vision.  Be generous and merciful to us.  Allow us to see You in all circumstances and to experience Your grace at all times.  For these things we give You all the honor, all the praise, and all the glory this world can offer.

In the name of our Rock and our Fortress we pray,

Amen