21 Days of Deep LivingSample

Developed

If Home is a life lived solely by faith, then walking with God on the road where our faith will be tested and developed is how we will get there.

The journey of making a physical photo which can be framed and displayed is not an easy one. Back in the day, we used to use Polaroids and had to take a shot and wind, take a shot and wind, then drop all the used camera rolls at a shop to be developed. A week later you had physical photos to keep for life. The process took time, but now technology has advanced so that you can take a photo on your mobile phone and store it forever in the cloud. No wait times, no processing, no journey… just instant photos!

Technology like this has created an "instant nature" in many of us and this is being played out in many areas of our lives. Modern technology has warped our minds into thinking that everything happens quickly or that everything can be compressed and shortened. However, the time it takes for development is often the key to the quality of the finished product.

When developing color photos, color print paper is sensitive to all parts of the visible spectrum, so it must be kept in complete darkness until the prints are properly fixed. The darkroom process gives the developer complete control over the medium. The developer must set the right conditions - after the high heats, low lights, and harsh chemicals, a beautiful, clear, and fully developed picture emerges as a result. God’s "Darkroom" is where He develops you into the Image of Christ. Enduring the trials in the darkness gives the credentials to walk out into the daylight, being ready to receive what God has prepared.

The Bible in 2 Corinthians 3:18, says that we are progressively being transformed into Christ’s Image from glory to glory.

In order to become and look more like Christ’s Person, we will encounter persecution, temptation, and suffering. We may find ourselves in places or situations that we don’t want to be in, that aren’t comfortable or put us under pressure. Let me encourage you that through those seasons, who person God has created you to be becomes more and more clear. In fact in this process, the Bible says that we should consider it pure joy, whenever we face trials of "many kinds". Being closer to God, enables us to understand that God will not give us more than we can handle, nor is He allowing us to go through things to destroy us but actually rather to develop us. He does so, so that the full picture of our future becomes clear sooner rather than later according to God’s Timing.

When we look at monumental people of faith in the Bible, we recall Moses, Joseph, David, Esther, Daniel, and many others who went through tough times. Yet in those times, they grew closer to God and stayed faithful. Joseph fled temptation detesting the thought of sinning against God when he was pursued by Potiphar’s wife; David resisted the temptation of killing Saul (more than once) to end his years in captivity fleeing from him; Esther fasted to stop the extermination of the Jewish people and Daniel prayed through the persecution of his people and stayed close to God even if it meant being thrown to lions. In their darkest hour, they were being developed which ultimately led to elevation and glory.

God will not just enhance you with quick fixes and cover-ups. He will develop and build you up until He completes the good work that He has started in you and take you to where He wants you to go.