Words that Inspire

Sometimes, we are in such a hurry to get out of our current situation that we miss the lessons. As hurtful, stagnant and unpalatable as our current situation may be, there is ALWAYS something to be gained. It is like a student who has just entered college. The next, higher, level is to graduate and have a good job. However, in the years between start and finish, there is a lot to learn and do. If the student is in a hurry to finish and will do whatever it takes to shorten those four years, they will either fail or graduate without having learned much.

The point I am trying to make is that our current situation is preparation for the next level. There are things we need to learn, skills we need to gain, and experiences that will build our testimony in our current situation. Essentially, God is using what is in our current position as material for our next level – sometimes literally.

Biblical Example

There are many situations in the Bible, where God used the tormentors of His people to provide for them. The most famous story is that of the children of Israel in the land of Egypt. They received gold and all they needed from their oppressors ( Exodus 12: 35 – 36). Well, this happens two more times to the children of Israel.

After decades of captivity in Babylon, Cyrus proclaims that whoever wants to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple be allowed to go. He further decreed and that every man living next to an Israelite, assist them with all that they want (Ezra 1:2-4).

As always occurs in life, the voices of opposition came flooding in. People discouraged them from building the temple and officials were bribed to frustrate their efforts. They even complained to two different kings. Eventually, work paused on the temple until the reign of king Darius. He ordered all those who opposed the children of Israel to fully pay for the cost of the rebuilding. Not only that, he decreed that anyone who hindered them would be killed and their houses reduced to rubble.

The examples above show us that ALL that the Israelites needed to get out of their plight. existed within their current situation.

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Next Level Preparation

God will ALWAYS use what is around us to get us to the next level. For the children of Israel, God used their enemies. For the widow of Zarephath, God used a little jar of oil and a tiny amount of flour (1 Kings 17:7-16). In the new testament, Jesus used mud to restore sight (John 9:1-6,). He also used five loaves and two fishes (Matt 14:13-21) to feed hungry thousands. The key to your next level is hidden somewhere in your now.

I am certainly not suggesting that if we find ourselves in an unfortunate situation, we fold our hands in silence. No! We pray and wait on God for guidance and work hard. However, we also need to slow down and learn from that situation. What did we do that got us there? How was our relationship with God while we got there?

Looking back, I have discovered that every tough situation and dry season I have gone through in my life, has taught me something about me and the world. They have also allowed me to learn more about God and to learn to depend solely on God. When those times have turned around for good, the lessons I have learned and my relationship with God has been for the better. At the end of those periods, I discover that I am stronger and ready for whatever else comes my way.

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Bad situations allow us to rely on God more and deepen and renew our relationship with him. Do not be so desperate to turn a situation around that you stray outside of God’s will and ignore his presence and the lessons around us. Always remember that your current situation is merely preparation for a higher better level.