For the last few months I have been battling a lot of frustration. In fact, had it not been for the Grace of God I might not have had the strength to stay the course. I even considered deleting this blog :-(. But God in his goodness, revealed these words to me and since then my peace has been restored as I once again learn to anchor my confidence in him and him alone.

You may remember my post, “Dear God… When.” That was a very real struggle for me. And so this is His response: In Due Season… (enlightening, I know). But here’s why:

When we receive a vision or a call of God it is natural for us to want to see it come to pass or run out and make it happen. But we must always remember that whatever the Holy Spirit has revealed that He will carry out in his set time.

Our duty is obedience and stillness.

“And John remained in the wilderness until the TIME of his manifestation…” Luke 1:80.

After being in the wilderness 40 days and being tempted by Satan “Jesus returned to Galilee filled with the Holy Spirit’s power” and he began his ministry (Luke 4:14-15).

Jesus told the disciples “The Father alone has the authority to set dates and times and they are not for you to know”. Acts 1:7. He commanded them to stay in Jerusalem until they received the Spirit and only then could they go out and minister.

Between the vision and the manifestation there is always a period of waiting and processing, and we have to submit wholly to that process so that God can make us into the person he intends us to be in order to fulfill that vision.

The problem with many of us, is we long to be noticed. We crave recognition and approval and we want to be among the ranks of those who have fame and influence and so we run out to erect something before it is our time. But we must be careful not to build any “towers” or they will be crushed. We must quit trying to act before we are commissioned.

God is more invested in WHO we ARE than what we DO and he will not allow us to do anything until we are fully developed. We sometimes aim to “do” in order to gain identity and significance. Unfortunately, we live in a culture where our value rests on our title and our achievements. One of the first things people usually want to know when they meet someone is “what do you do?”  And the truth is, “I am a lawyer, a doctor or a famous actor” yields a lot more awe and adoration than “I am a housewife or a window washer”.

However, we must remember that what we DO is only meaningful if it flows from who we ARE.

Your significance is ONLY found in you and who God says you are. God endorsed Jesus and established his identity before he had ever done one miracle or preached a single sermon. When God said “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased,” Jesus had not yet started his ministry. God was simply pleased with Jesus himself. His “doing” didn’t cause God to commend him, his “being” did. Everything Jesus did thereafter, flowed from WHO he was.

Do not move until you are instructed. Do not run out until you are called. When the time is ripe for you to fulfill your purpose God will send you out. Do not run to service for God out of personal ambition and attach a bible verse to it. You will have no power and God cannot bless what he has not anointed.

And so, if what you are doing is bearing no fruit and you find yourself going around the same old mountain with no reward, it may be time for a reassessment. Or if you find yourself constantly doing something new, changing gears and abandoning the last thing that didn’t work, it may be time to get still and seek the Lord for his plans for you. (And this is not to be confused with small beginnings if God called you to something, it may start small but as you stick with it and stay faithful to his commands it will grow.) When God has truly called you to something, it cannot die, no matter how it struggles you cannot abandon it because you will be given the grace to pour your whole self into it, until it is complete.

Remember, it is God’s work, not our own.

We must learn to wait and stay hidden so our character can be fully developed and Christ can be made real in us. This must essentially be completed BEFORE we can successfully do anything In Jesus’ name.

The little boy David who God anointed as king was a very different man when he actually became king.

The Abram God made a promise to, was a very different Abraham by the time he actually received that promised. Even his name had to be changed.

The person you are when God made His promise to you is very different from the person you will be when you receive that promise.

So, stay hidden in his shadow and allow him to put you on his potter’s wheel. Submit to the process and build nothing before the time. In due season, when you are fully developed he will send you out with his power, protection and his glory.  Only then will you enjoy the fruit of HIS results.

Selah.