Discovering the Power of God’s Promises: A 6-Day Devotional Plan for the New Seasonಮಾದರಿ

DAY THREE – GROWTH

God has never been, and I suspect never will be, one to pontificate. What he says carries impact and each word has meaning. Nowhere in Scripture do you find him rambling on with meaningless chatter. So, when he used very few words to perform the greatest act of creation ever seen by declaring ‘let there be light’, I believe we should take note.

Jesus also used few words to do his greatest miracles. For example: ‘Lazarus, come out’ (John 11:43, ESV); ‘Go your way; your faith has made you well’ (Mark 10:52, ESV); ‘Young man, I say to you, arise’ (Luke 7:14, ESV) – from these nineteen words he raised the dead twice and healed a blind man. Most of us can‘t pray for our meal in nineteen words!

In seasons of growth, silence often speaks the loudest.

If God has told you to wait, then the chances of him giving further instruction before you need it are slim to none. Therefore, instead of asking for your fifteenth confirmation or whining about the timing (if you are anything like me), maybe you should focus on growing. You may have heard this before, but it still rings true – God is more concerned with our character than our calling.

A great example is Peter, one of the disciples called to help spread the gospel and ‘fish for men’. He promised Jesus he would never deny him and yet, within a few days, that promise was broken, and in John 21 Jesus finds Peter fishing . . . for fish. He was called by Jesus as an evangelist, yet one trial of failure clouded Jesus’ words of truth. Once Jesus confronts Peter with truth and love, we see Peter’s faith grow so fast that, in the Upper Room, he was the one leading the waiting and, in Acts 2, explaining the outpouring.

I have learned that in my darkest seasons there is always opportunity for my faith to stretch to a new level – a level strong enough to handle the calling waiting on the other side. The faith Peter had before Jesus went to the cross was not the faith he carried after Jesus was resurrected.

So let me ask you: is the foundation you’re building today strong enough to hold the future you’re believing for tomorrow?

Reflect: Are your prayers specific and focused or general and open ended? When have you acted like Peter, and how have you grown from that experience?