It appeared to be that life had settled well into a new season. I was content, optimistic and even joyful in my day-to-day activities. After all, God’s goodness could be seen in each crevasse of my life’s outline- the ideal outline: orderly, structured, formatted and dotted in place. It fit my personality pretty well. Things had settled into a place of rest where they were understandable, better yet logical. It was all sensible to the circumstances, life was clear. Except, we all know that when this occurs, life, sometimes, has a different plan, because growth doesn’t happen at the place of comfort. 

So, in the months to come the Lord began to gently nudge my spirit to “be prepared”, but for what, I could not say nor determine. I prayed and eagerly asked Him to guide my steps into the direction of His will. To help me move forward on secure ground and firm footing- even if He couldn’t show me the full path. Yet, all I could sense was the Spirit telling to me to simply be still; and so my desire was met with quietness. Quietness so loud, though, that I could not help but feel the restlessness of my flesh begin to engage with the curiosity of my mind. Compelling me to move, to go out and discover what my next steps should be. Yet, I knew that what God was really asking of me, was to let go of the logic in my mind and to move into the stillness of the unknown. But the desire to know “what’s next” began to distort my perception of the truth. 

The Truth was: God had asked me to be still. 

The Flesh said: Figure out what to do. 

It is then, that I remembered the story of Sarah, in the Old Testament. You see, God had also spoken to both Abraham and Sarah, and He had given Sarah a promise that she would be “a mother of nations” (Genesis 17:16). Yet, Sarah in her circumstances, did not believe, she embodied the nature of uncertainty and doubt, which ultimately led her to create her own path towards God’s promise. She could not be still. Her urge for logic and understanding became greater than her trust in God’s promise. Yet, we all know how the story ends. God’s promise was ultimately fulfilled, but not without regret or heartache from the consequences of Sarah’s choices, that were made in the flesh. 

So, why do we do such a thing? Why is it that when we are in the midst of the “in between”, we begin to doubt? Why do we rush or even manipulate the perception of truth? Is it because God’s voice is not enough?

He has asked me, plainly and simply to be prepared in the stillness of the in between– even if the steps are not yet clear. This too is a command, you know, to be still. To be so still that you are also alert in this place of rest. Alert to His Spirit, in a way that does not always require a response- even when the pieces don’t seem to fit in place. You see when God gave Sarah the promise that she would be “a mother of nations” Sarah in her circumstances, did not believe, she in fact laughed when she heard such a promise (Gen. 18:4, 12-15).

 “Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” 13 And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 Is anything too HARD for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”

*Other translations will read: “silently to herself” (NLT)   

This is important because, we will learn that there is nothing hidden from God and that there is also nothing that is too great for Him. In fact, the word “hard” in vs. 14 is translated: pālā’ in the Hebrew, which means: “to be marvelous or wonderful.” We find this same description in the following verses:

Psa. 86:10 “For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God.”

Job 5:9 “Who does great things, and unsearchable, Marvelous things without number.”

Psa 111:4 “He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The LORD is gracious and full of compassion.”

Jer 32:27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”

You see, nothing is too surpassing or extraordinary for the Lord. Therefore, I want to encourage you today, that even when the pieces don’t seem to “fit in place” or when you are in the “in between” of a circumstance, we must trust God. Because He is worthy and wonderful. For even when we doubt or try to make sense of life, in our own way, He will always remain faithful- despite our unbelief. Because, this is the nature of God’s character. He is not faithful to us, He is faithful, period.

“If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Tim. 2:13)