Wake Up to God's Will for Your LifeShembull

God Is Interested in Our Journey, Not Just Our Destination

As a father of wonderful young children, I can tell you that when kids get into a vehicle, they have only one thing on their minds— arriving at their destination. Five minutes into a five-hour road trip my kids will begin asking, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” And the incessant inquiry will not abate until we have arrived.

 This is how many of us are when it comes to God’s will for our lives. We just want to get there already. We want to hear the little GPS unit say, “You have arrived.” But in most cases, there is a great deal of time that elapses between when God calls us, and when we have fulfilled His will for our lives. What we need to understand is that the journey is an important process that matters very much to God. The process of following Him in obedience, step by step, through many unknowns, trials, and difficulties, is a significant part of our development and preparation.

One day a little boy happened upon a butterfly trying to break out of its cocoon. The little boy decided to help the struggling butterfly, but after tearing the cocoon open, he discovered that the butterfly inside was shriveled and weak — so frail, in fact, that it soon died. What the child didn’t realize was that pushing against the cocoon is a necessary part of the butterfly’s development. Without the struggle the cocoon provided, the butterfly did not have the strength to survive when it emerged. 

God uses the journey to teach us faith, refine our character, and equip us for the greater challenges that lie ahead. “If you have raced with men on foot and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses?” (Jer. 12:5 AMP). In most cases, without the journey, we would not be ready to step into the fullness of what God has for us. The journey is not just necessary for fulfilling God’s will for our lives, in many ways, it’s an integral part of God’s will for our lives. 

In fact, if you are in the process of seeking God’s will right now, you are already fulfilling part of it. God promises in Psalm 32:8 to “instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go.” So, don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because you don’t know what God’s will is for your life today, you aren’t making any progress. Something is happening right now. Your faith is being stretched, and your patience is being tried. Your spiritual ears are being tuned as you listen to hear the voice of God’s Spirit. You are confronting doubts and questions. You may be going through a great struggle, but that struggle is all part of the process of birthing all God wants to do in your life. God always prepares us in advance for what He has in store for us! That process may be uncomfortable, but it is necessary, nonetheless. Stay the course, good things are coming for you!

Take the next step in obedience today! And remember that through the unknowns, the trials, and difficulties that God is with you. He turns those unknown seasons into significant and meaningful development, as well as into preparation for the amazing destination He has for you.