“God is in often overlooked places. We don’t have to find Him. God is not far from us. We just have to make the choice to see him and rightly attribute to Him the good that does exist.”- Lysa TerKeurst
Lysa TerKeurst concludes Chapter 6 of It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way as she reminds us to remember God’s presence in the midst of the process. Yes, God’s fulfilled promise represents a glorious hope to hang on to for the future. Yet. God’s presence in the process steadies our hope for today.
Furthermore, Ms. TerKeurst exhorts, we need to see evidence of God’s goodness and presence among us. And we don’t have to find Him. For God’s in often overlooked places – close to us. Thus, to wake up with great expectation that we’ll notice little reminders of God’s goodness keeps us on the path of longsuffering. As a result, we don’t veer of in the dangerous direction of wallowing.
Assured of God’s presence in the process, we proceed step by step. Because, as Lysa explains, longsuffering isn’t a sprint:
“Longsuffering is long because you can’t sprint through it. It’s one step. And then another that might be more treacherous than all the previous steps. . . . Sometimes God lifts us up in an instant, and other times He wants to join us on a bit of the journey — a process through which we can gain a little more strength and grit and lung capacity for what He sees we’ll need once we reach that rock at the top. There is a purpose to the process, and it’s called preparation.”
Finally, Lysa encourages us in those times we find the process of longsuffering unbearable. God waits until we’re strong, firm, and steadfast to put us up on that solid rock. And when we have a song, we’re ready to sing.
Today’s question: What helps you see God in often overlooked places? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Then there’s the story we tell ourselves”
