Have you ever been in the place where you’ve felt left behind? Where you’ve felt like everyone around you has moved on in life, like they are much farther ahead, and you are still stuck in the same season and same cycles that you’ve experienced for years? I’ve felt like this before. I’ve felt like I was running out of time, like I was missing out on who I was supposed to be…on who I could have been. This is something that I struggled with for years. Mike and I married and had our first child in our early twenties, so we faced the challenges of raising a family, attending school, and establishing careers at the same time. And I can admit that, along the way, we definitely struggled with comparison, and feeling like we didn’t measure up to the standards of where we should have been in life. But if I’ve learned anything on this journey of faith, it’s that God has a way of moving outside of time. He works in the details of our lives…shifting us towards the will that He has for us. It doesn’t matter how much time has past, it doesn’t matter what has happened along the way…He makes all of it count towards our purpose.
God created everything, so He is sovereign over everything.
What is the sovereignty of God?
When we talk about the sovereignty of God, we are talking about His authority over the earth. We are talking about the fact that He exists outside of creation, and that He has been, before the beginning. There was nothing before Him. Because He created all things, He is supreme over, and has authority over, all things.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:1-5 NKJV)
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. (Colossians 1:15-17 NLT)
Not only is God sovereign in the earth, but His providence governs the earth.
What is the providence of God?
While the sovereignty of God points to His supreme authority over everything, His providence points to how He uses His authority over everything. Because God created all things, and is above all things, He has the ability to make all things work according to His will. We can see proof of His providence in Colossians chapter 1, where it states that, “Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.” This scripture underlines the fact that God created the earth to bring Him glory. Whatever happens, whatever is done in the visible and invisible realm, even those things that seem dark, He ultimately uses them to bring glory to His name. He is active in everything and in every situation; our lives are in His hands.
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths. (Psalms 24:1-2 NLT)
Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. (Romans 11:33-36 NLT)
The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything. (Psalms 103:19 NLT)
So, why do we need to understand God’s sovereignty and providence? How can our knowledge of these two things affect our lives?
Well, if we can get a picture of who our God is, and how great He is, we can begin to understand that ultimately, He is in control of our lives. If we can understand that He controls the universe, that He is the one holding the earth in place, that He is the one that gives the sun permission to do it’s job, maybe we can then understand that there is nothing that is too hard for Him. He sits above all things; He watches and controls all things…so what is our life to Him? Everything….and nothing at the same time. By this, I mean that our lives are so valuable to Him. He loves each of us with all His heart. He created us uniquely for a purpose, to glorify His name. But at the same time…our lives are nothing compared to how great He is…compared to how powerful He is. He holds the entire world in His hands…why do we fear that He has lost His grip on us? Why do we fear that He can not work a miracle for us? Why do we make our situations bigger than our God? There is nothing and no one greater than Him. He controls the things that we fear…He puts boundaries around every situation that we face. Yes, the fall of man has caused us to live in this dark world, and we must face situations and tragedies that seem insurmountable. But we can not forget that we don’t have to fear, because our Savior has defeated everything that seeks to defeat us. And although weapons form against us, He has his hand on them…He has given them boundaries…they can not prosper.
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NLT)
But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken! (Isaiah 54:17 NLT)
The thing surrounding you, is surrounded by God.
I want you to get a mental picture of this. What situation is surrounding you right now? What trials are you facing? What is seeking to come against you moving into the promise that God has for you? Whatever it is that is surrounding you…God is surrounding it. He is watching closely over the situation. Yes, it is hard. Yes, it is a tragedy…and it hurts. His heart breaks for every tear that you cry; He is close to you when you feel brokenhearted. But also…your God stands strong and mighty, and He is above it. He is ensuring that whatever it is does not take you out. He is ordering his angels to move on your behalf…to ensure that the situation works to bring you into the plan that He has for you.
Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands. Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will! (Psalms 103:20-21 NLT)
God is preserving you right where you are. He is making sure that your trials are working for you… that they are molding you into who He has called you to be. And even if you can’t see it right now, where you are…in the depths of a place that you’d rather not be, you will see it when you look back, when He’s brought you to the place that He’s prepared for you.
The seasons where we feel stuck, are often seasons of preservation.
We all have areas of our lives where we feel stagnant. Where we feel like, regardless of our efforts, we can’t figure out a way to move forward. And we face the same decision. Will we wait on God? Will we continue to trust His plan for our lives, even though we can’t see a way out? Or will we give up? Will we turn away from God, because we have yet to experience His promise? Today, with those questions in mind…I want to takes us on a journey. I want to show us how God uses our seasons of waiting, and how he preserves us in those seasons, so that we can see the promise that He has for us.
In the book of Genesis, we read about Joseph, the son of Jacob. Joseph was one of twelve sons, but he was his father’s favorite, and his brothers envied him because of it. Joseph received a promise from God, that he would become a man of power, one that his entire family would bow down to, and this angered his brothers even more. So much so, that they plotted to kill him. But one of the brothers came to his rescue, he advocated for Joseph to be thrown into an empty cistern instead.
When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. “Here comes the dreamer!” they said. “Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!” But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph’s rescue. “Let’s not kill him,” he said. “Why should we shed any blood? Let’s just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he’ll die without our laying a hand on him.” Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father. (Genesis 37:18-22 NLT)
Joseph was thrown into a pit by his own brothers. Imagine how he felt. Most likely he tried to reason with them to change their minds. And then, once he realized that they would not relent, he probably tried with all of his might to get himself out of the situation. But once he realized that there was nothing that he could do to get himself out of the cistern, he probably began to question the vision that God had spoken over him. God had given him dreams of who he would become, but here he was, in a pit, abandoned, and left to die. Joseph could see no way out, there was no one around that desired to help him out. He probably felt like all hope was lost, and there was no way for him to move forward. But what Joseph didn’t know in that moment, is that the pit was God’s way of preserving him. Joseph had no idea that his brothers were plotting to kill him, but God knew. God knew what their intentions were, but in his providence, he used their hatred to work according to His plan for Joseph’s life. The pit was not the end. The pit was not to harm Joseph. The pit was there to protect him, to keep him safe, so that he could see the promise that God had given him.
Just like Joseph, we have no idea why we are where we are. But we can be sure that God does. We can be sure that He knows every detail of our lives. He knows the things we can see, and the things that we can’t see. He is keeps us from the dangers that we know nothing about. And He is shielding us, and protecting us, so that we can walk in the plan that He has for us.
Joseph may have thought that the pit was the end for him, but it was only the beginning. From there, Joseph was sold into slavery, and then he was wrongfully accused and thrown into prison. He endured much. He had many chances to give up, but he never did. In every season that Joseph went through, he continued to live devoted to the Lord. He did not allow his circumstances to prevent him from walking in purpose.
We can walk in purpose regardless of where we are in life.
We can see proof of this in Joseph’s life. It didn’t matter where he was...whether he was a slave, or a prisoner, he walked in purpose. And because of his faithfulness, everything that he did was blessed.
The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. (Genesis 39:2-5 NLT)
But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed. (Genesis 39:21-23 NLT)
Many of us feel that we have to wait until we reach a certain point in life, to walk in purpose. But this is not the way that God design it. He gave us the ability to walk in his calling wherever we are. He asks us to be faithful, and to serve in excellence, right where we are. Whatever we do, we do it as unto the Lord. We use the gifts that He has given us, to bless those around us. And when He sees that we are faithful in the small things… in the pit of where we don’t want to be, He knows that he can trust us with more.
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. (Luke 16:10 ESV)
Joseph’s faithfulness is what opened the door to his destiny. He knew that God had a call on his life, but he had no idea that the call was tied to his willingness to walk in purpose wherever he was. Because he served diligently in prison, and because he was willing to offer his gifts to serve others in the middle of his pit, he found himself in service before the king, and this is when everything changed. Joseph was responsible for devising a plan that saved the lives of the Egyptians, and the lives of those in the surrounding areas, when a famine occurred. But what was even greater than all of this, is that he was responsible for saving his entire family, the patriarchs of the children of Israel. This was so much bigger than Joseph. God didn’t just preserve Joseph for Joseph’s sake. God preserved Joseph so that His chosen people could be saved. Joseph had been preserved, and now, Joseph was entrusted with the task of preserving others.
Most of us know very well the story of how God rescued the children of Israel from oppression in Egypt. But many of us don’t realize how they got there in the first place. Egypt was never meant to be a place of bondage, Egypt was meant to be a place of preservation. God brought them there so that their lives would be saved. He brought them there so that they could be preserved, so that they would see the promised land one day.
Don’t allow your place of preservation to become a place of bondage.
By this, I don’t mean physical bondage…we all know how Pharaoh enslaved the children of God. This was out of their control. But although we can not control the things that happen to us, we can control how we allow them to affect us.
The hardships of the Israelites captivity, understandably, affected their minds. They were enslaved for generations…and over time, they forgot who they were, and the hope that God called them to. So once they were rescued from Egypt, and God got ready to lead them into the promised land, they were unable to move forward. They were unable to trust God for their promise, because they were crippled by the pain of what they had been through.
Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained. “Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!” (Numbers 14:2-4 NLT)
For the Israelites, Egypt was no longer a place, it was a mentality. It was the place that they thought they would never be able to break out of. Somewhere along the way, they lost their faith in God. They lost their identity in Him. Instead of being children of the Most High God, they were slaves of Pharaoh…this was all that they knew. But I want to contrast this with Joseph, a man that was enslaved in the same place as them. Regardless of his circumstances, he knew who he was, and who’s he was. Because His identify was found in God, Joseph was continually in a place to receive the promises of God.
When our identity is found in God, we are in position to receive the promises of God.
We all know this place of Egypt. We have those places in our lives that we’ve struggled in for so long, that we’ve begun to identify with them. We have forgotten that we are children of God; we have forgotten the promises that He has spoken over our lives. It doesn’t matter what seeks to oppress us; It doesn’t matter where we are now. Our current circumstances are no indication of where He is taking us. We can’t see the things that He sees; we don’t know the things that He knows, but we do know Him. We know that He is a God that keeps His word. We know that He is a God that saves.
If there is anyone that we can find strength in, it is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The One that paid the price, so that we could be truly free. But we must not forget that He also had to go to Egypt.
After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” (Matthew 2:13 NLT)
Egypt is the same place that God chose to preserve his Son, when he was threatened by death. As I thought of this, I couldn’t help but to think of God’s purpose behind it all. Yes, Jesus’s life was in danger, but God could have sent him anywhere else. Why Egypt? I don’t know the answer for sure, but I do know that our God is intentional in everything that He does. This was no accident; this was not a random choice. God spoke this over Jesus’s life hundreds of years before His birth.
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt.” (Hosea 11:1 NLT)
Do you see it? In the prophecy, God mentions Israel and Jesus. He says that He loved Israel from a child, and that He called his Son out of Egypt. As I read this, I feel like God is expressing His love for His children. I feel like He is saying that Israel, you were my child, just as Jesus is. What He planned for Jesus, He also planned for them. Egypt was only meant to preserve them. He wanted to call them out…to take them to the promised land. But things didn’t go a planned; most of them didn’t get to enter into the promise. But this time was different. God raised up the perfect child, with the perfect plan. And His will was done. I believe that God did this to show us the power that we have in the Savior.
Because of Jesus, we do not have to live in bondage.
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. (Isaiah 61:1 NLT)
No matter where we are, we can be free, because He has set us free. There is no situation that can stop the will of God from entering into our lives. The only thing that can stop the will of God, is our lack of obedience, and our unwillingness to walk into it. We can see this through the lives of Joseph and Jesus. Joseph’s own brothers wanted him dead. He was a slave; He was a prisoner. And at no point in this journey, would you have thought that he could become the second most powerful man in Egypt. But none of that mattered, because God was able to make something glorious out of nothing, only using Joseph’s willingness and obedience. And when we look at Jesus, we see that His life was threatened from the beginning, but nothing got in the way of the will of God being accomplished through Him. Why? Because of Mary and Joseph’s willingness and obedience. That’s all we need.
If you find yourself pondering why you are where you are, remind yourself that God always has a plan. He has not forgotten about you; He has not forsake you. You are His child. You are in the same position as Israel and Jesus. Maybe you are in Egypt, a place where you did not ask to be. But consider that this may be just a place of preservation. Consider that you are there because He has kept you, and He is protecting you, so that you can see your promised land. He does not intend to leave you where you are; He has spoken His promise over you. He will call you out, and lead you to the place that He has prepared for you. So keep your eyes focused on Him, and remember who and who’s you are. You are a child of God. You were created for a purpose; you were designed with a specific call on your life. One that brings the light of Jesus into this world. Never forget that. Trust in Him. And while you wait, seek His face. Ask Him to make you fruitful where you are. Ask Him to allow you to be a blessing right where you are. And as you serve faithfully, He will move you closer to the destiny that He has for you. You just have to be willing. You just have to be obedient. You just have to have faith.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for the promises that you have given me. Thank you for the call that you have placed on my life. And thank you for protecting me, and keeping me safe, so that I can reach the destiny that you have for me. Right now, I am not where I want to be, but because of your grace, I am not where I could have been. And I know that this is only because of your sovereignty and providence that works in my life. Thank you for reminding me that you are greater than any circumstance that seeks to come between me and the promise that you have for me. Thank you for reminding me that your glory surrounds any situation that is surrounding me. I am safe because you go before me, because you fight for me, and because you cause all things to work for my good, according to the purpose that you have for my life. Today, I declare that I will trust in the words of purpose that you have spoken over me, and not what my eyes can see. I declare that I will walk by faith, not by sight, until I see every promise that you have for me. And while I wait, I pray that you would enable me to be fruitful and faithful right where I am. I pray that you would grace me to be a blessing right where I am. I give you all the glory for where I am today, and I give you all the glory for what you are about to do in my life. I love you Father. In Jesus' name, amen.
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