I was recently spending some time reading the devotional "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. The scripture was Mark 6:45; the story of when Jesus walks on water to meet the disciples in the boat. Jesus and the disciples had just fed 5000 people and were on to their next stop. Jesus told the disciples to ride in the boat over to Bethsaida and He would eventually meet them.
Was His goal just for them to reach Bethsaida or was it to see how they would react to the storms while traveling?
Oswald Chambers says "The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself. What is my vision of God's purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power NOW."
I've seen this in my own life when I was raising financial support to come on staff with The Navigators. That first summer was tough, I just wanted it to be over so I could focus on what I thought was most important (the ministry at UWW). What if someone would have given me a check for $30,000 to take care of all my financial need? Was I trusting Him or myself? Was it God's will or mine?
But what I started to see was that God's goal was the process of fundraising. God was beginning to break me of expectations I had. There were some people that I thought could easily give $200/month but they didn't. There were some people I didn't expect anything from but they gave so much more. I started to see that I couldn't trust in my own wisdom but I needed God to guide me to the right people who would be excited about joining my support team. It was a lot of hard work, many face to face appointments, lots of phone calls, lots of prayer and reading God's Word. At the end of the summer God had provided what I needed to get to campus, but that wasn't most important. I remember thinking even if I wasn't able to get to campus, I had learned so much about who God is, how real He is, how much He loves me, that in the end the process of fundraising was worth it.
It's not in our nature to like the hard processes, it maybe slow, but we will look back and realize it was the process that was shaping us into the person God wants us to be.
Oswald Chambers says "If we realize that moment by moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious".
If you or someone you know is going through a tough time and aren't sure if it will ever be over, I just encourage you to trust God now and know that He is working in you, building you up to be more like Him. (Romans 8:28)
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)
Thank you Jesus for not giving up on us. Thank you for coming down to Earth to live a perfect life and die for our mistakes, our sins, our problems. Thank you for always walking with us through the hard times. Jesus you are not only our Savior but our friend, shepherd, healer, provider, Mighty God, Eternal Life, the Righteous One.
(Phil 4:19)
For the sake of His Gospel and His Kingdom,
-Tim and Tara Chamberlain
