I sometimes look at other people and wonder how they got to where they are. What did the road of life look like for them? What sacrifices were made? Was there pain? Or fear? Dreams that were never fulfilled? There will be experiences we walk through during our lifetime that don’t make sense. Some of them are filled with pain, suffering, frustration and seemingly unanswered prayers. Many times, we feel God isn’t listening or maybe we feel he’s ignoring our cries for
help. Financial stress, an unexpected health diagnosis, a lost job, legal difficulties or being betrayed by someone close to you – all of these can cause us to doubt that God actually has a plan that can result in something remotely decent, let alone good. But then I’m reminded of the Scripture that says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). You and I are God’s creation, made for a divine purpose that He knew about before we were even born.

I’ve learned that I got to where I am today, because God walked with me through circumstances I needed to experience in order to be ready and prepared for the dreams He put on my heart. I’ve experienced quite a bit of pain, sadness and fear throughout my lifetime. Most of us go through these emotions at some point in our lives. For many years, I couldn’t see past my circumstances, wondering if I’d ever reach the other side of the raging river of helplessness.

In the Bible, the people of Israel were slaves at the hand of Pharaoh in Egypt for many years. Moses, one of the greatest old testament prophets, was sent by God to lead them out of Egypt. Moses’ response sounds like so many of us today, convinced he didn’t have what it took to do what God called him to do: “Moses said to God, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). Who am I? This is the question we all contemplate when we are faced with a future we feel unequipped for. But Moses obeyed, stepped forward in faith and God parted the Red Sea for the people to walk through, escaping from the Egyptians. But, what was supposed to be an eleven-day journey to the promised land, took them FORTY YEARS. The Bible says, “He made them wander in the wilderness forty years” (Num 32:13).

Why did it take them so long? And, why did God make them wander the wilderness for so many years? He could have created an obstacle-free path for them, straight to the promised land. He’s God after all, right? The answer is quite simple. It’s the same answer when we ask why our own wilderness experience is taking so long. God is strengthening and preparing us for the call He has put on our lives. The dreams within us don’t happen overnight. They take time to cultivate so
we are fully ready to step into the destiny God has ordained for us. If we arrive too early to our destination, we won’t fully appreciate it or be able to sustain it.

Eventually, the wilderness you are walking through will make sense in God’s perfect time. At first, the shards of glass in a pile on the floor, appear dirty, ugly and useless. But, when God takes the broken and shattered pieces and meticulously places them together at just the right time, a story is revealed. Your story is revealed. It’s a story that God saw all along from His heavenly perspective, that will eventually make sense to us. It’s a story of a difficult road that leads us to our God-given destiny.

Trust that God sees the big picture as you continue to take steps of faith, even when the world around you seems to be out-of-control and doesn’t make sense. With each step you take, God is walking alongside you, guiding you and strengthening you throughout the process. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). When we are finally able to take a step back,
we will look up and fix our eyes upon what God has walked with us through, and see a beautiful masterpiece, filled with stunning shapes and colors that reveal our story in unexpected ways. The stained-glass piece of art, representing all of the experiences we lived through, will finally reveal a remarkable and purposeful life that makes perfect sense.