The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the LORD anointed me To bring good news to the humble; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners. Isaiah 61:1
Jesus had a specific mission to fulfill, and so do you. Your calling has a spiritual GPS to guide you toward God’s higher purposes for your life, but it requires your submission and cooperation. God can't fulfill His purposes in you without you. While a saint may be preoccupied with what God is doing for them, He is always more concerned about what is being accomplished in them. While we may be impatient, remember God is creating His masterpiece in you, and He has eternity in His hands. Jesus’ ministry lasted 3 1/2 years, but God's preparation time before Jesus went into public ministry was 30 years. God invested 40 years readying Moses in the wilderness before he led Israel out of Egypt. Joseph spent 13 years in God's training program between the pit and the palace before he became governor of Egypt. And Noah took architectural instructions from God to build the ark over 100 years. The Apostle Paul spent three years in Arabia before starting his first missionary journey. God prepares leaders today for pressures they will face tomorrow.
Seeds for success are planted in the background of preparation where no one can see. It is not uncommon for a season of obscurity to precede a season of assignment. Consider God's training program for assignment.
PURSUIT: You don't go until God calls. If you are not sure what your assignment is in this season, consider a time of seeking, prayer, and fasting. Seeking precedes seeing what God has planned for you.
PREPARATION: God knows what you will face so He designs an environment for you to learn what you will need for what lies ahead. The place of your preparation will at times have difficult people and problems you will need to navigate. Navigating difficult situations is God’s primary training program for developing problem-solving skills.
PEOPLE: Every assignment involves people, and every training program comes with coaches. Whom has God assigned to you—whom are you assigned to? The people in authority God has over or under you will sometimes be the sandpaper by which He smooths out your rough edges.
PROCEED: Whether years in the making or months in waiting, when it comes time to move forward, get into action. Like a door opening and closing, assignments are time sensitive with a beginning and an end. If you miss your window to step up, another will step forward and take your place.
REFLECT TO CONNECT:
- What is God preparing you for in this season?
- Are you able to identify His training program and the mentors He’s assigned to you?
- How can you tell when God is moving you to a new place of purpose?
Principle: It is not uncommon for a season of obscurity to precede a season of assignment.
