Have you ever found yourself in an agitated state of mind? 

When you’re desiring a change, but you are not seeing it happen; when you have prayed and prayed and the answer has not come yet; or when it appears God is leading you in a direction you had not planned to go.

I’m raising my hand right along with yours. The pressure in life increases and we feel it. Our thinking can get entangled with our circumstances instead of staying steadfast in God’s promises. Worry creeps in. What is not happening can consume our energy as we try to figure things out. This can send our mind spiraling.

If we keep our eyes on natural things, our effectiveness diminishes. This is not what I wanted to hear, but I needed to hear it. Who wants to spend a lot of energy and find themselves exhausted with nothing good to show for their efforts? Not me, and yet I have found myself in this very place. You?

Several years back, I lay in bed one night with tears streaming down my face. I had been wrestling with God long enough. I couldn’t understand why I felt like God was asking me to leave the place of employment where I had found joy and purpose in my work. 

I was tired of the pressure and I wanted to surrender, yet I desperately needed God’s direction. I shared with Him my heart’s cry. Lord, if this is what you are asking of me, please help me. Can you put the new job I am to take in front of me, let me know the people there, and find favor with them?  While this may not seem like a big deal, within a short period of time, God answered all three of my desires. He knew exactly what His daughter needed in order for her to take courage, step out in faith, and obey.

Can I just remind you that your Heavenly Father truly desires to give you good gifts and to HELP you? I believe God wants more for us than we want for ourselves! The circumstances do not always make sense. The pressure is uncomfortable. But, He knows the end from the beginning. He’s got our BEST interest at heart as He is establishing the order and the outcome in our lives.

If you are struggling, know this:  

1. God will not be mocked, and we will sow what we reap (Galatians 6:7). He is a God of His Word and His promises are backed by all the honor of His name (Psalms 138:2).
2. The good works He has begun in us, He will complete (Philippians 1:6). God’s got this! We don’t need to defend His reputation when things look different from what we expect. Also, He is the giver of good gifts (James 1:17). He desires to help His children.
3. If we will surrender, obey, and keep our eyes on Jesus, He can work with that! God is greater than our biggest giants. He is calling us to trust Him and to get our minds back to thinking about what is noble, good, and pure (Phil 4:8), and on “things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth (Col 3:2).” In this place, He can give us the courage and creative solutions for our future. 

Pressure can produce a process that positions us to perform (carry out an action or task). There are things in you and me that only God sees; our potential. He knows what it will take to grow his sons and daughters into everything He is calling us to become, so we can walk out what He has created us to accomplish. 

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him (Philippians 2:13).” 

We don’t like the pressure, and yet it can push us out of our comfort zone and cause us to rise to the occasion.

Will you rise?

Will you surrender and trust His heart for you today?

What do you hear, sense, or see God saying to you?

Lord, I pray you give each one of us the courage to keep our eyes fixed on you. Help us step out into the unknown, trusting our Heavenly Father’s heart for us. Give us your divine wisdom so that we may steward the gifts you have given us to be a blessing to others. Give us a calm presence in the middle of chaos. Let your peace and joy be the shining light in us that draws people to you. May we represent your Kingdom on earth, and have a heart that sees with your eyes. We place our trust in you! In Jesus Name, Amen.