I recently completed a Bible study titled Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer. The Lord spoke to me through it! This past week, I’ve been meditating on one of the points Priscilla made. Namely, that God’s way is not usually the easy way.
Oh, how we long for the easy way, don’t we?
Once, I expected to carve a high-powered career path into corporate America.
Then my husband and I moved overseas and work permit restrictions prevented me from employment.
Once, I fell in love with writing and dreamed that I’d write a fantastic novel that an agent would want to represent and an editor would want to buy. My publisher would throw all their support behind it and my novel would scale the bestseller charts. Readers and fellow writers would admire me. Contest judges would heap awards on my novel.
Then I faced four years of rejections as I sought to get my work published. After I managed to achieve publication, my publisher told me they wouldn’t be offering me another contract because my books didn’t sell well.
Once, I wanted to become a mother and imagined how caring, patient, loving and full of undivided attention I’d be.
Then my first baby was born and it occurred to me that my idealized mom-self wasn’t going to show up. There was only me, the fallible human model, and parenting was far more challenging than expected.
Once, I wanted to have a third child.
Then two miscarriages and two years of infertility followed.
Once, I was diagnosed with a GI issue I hoped would heal in a week.
Then seven months passed before my health was restored.
When I look back, it’s clear that God was using the “hard way” to accomplish His purposes, instead of my own, in my life. In fact, much of the growth the Lord has prodded in me as I’ve aged has come about because God has asked me to surrender my longing for the easy way at the foot of His throne and leave it there. Then surrender it again. And again. And again.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9
He beckons us to do things His way so that He can show himself sufficient through our weakness. He asks us to honor our commitments when it would be simpler and more exciting not to. He asks us to serve others when we’d prefer to be served. He asks us to humble ourselves, when we’d prefer to be exalted. He asks us to love when we’d rather hate.
His goals look so different than ours! He’s all about sanctifying us. And the road of sanctification doesn’t bear much resemblance to the easy road.
Can we trust Him, really trust Him, when we find ourselves in painful places? Can we believe in His character even when we can’t fathom His motives? Can we be assured that He’ll redeem all the suffering He allows, even if we never see how with our own eyes?
The beauty of our relationship with Him is that the answer is yes. Yes. We can.
But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15
Our devotion is sometimes inconsistent. But His is not. His love and His faithfulness are STEADFAST. I love that word. Steadfast! Praise the Lord! His way is not usually the easy way. But He will walk the “hard way” alongside you and you can count on the fact that neither His love for you nor His faithfulness toward you will waver.
What has been an encouragement to you as you’ve walked God’s way? What has given you strength and increased your faith?
Becky Wade
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I love so much about this post, Becky! Thank you so much for encouraging us. God IS so good. I think faith needs grit to really grow, and we only truly know the depth of our faith when we are faced with the choice to do things God’s way rather than ours. Like you, I suffered miscarriage, which totally didn’t fit my ideas of blessing. I felt challenged by God to sing His praise anyway, and so through tears and pain, sang of His goodness and faithfulness. I believe this brought healing for me, and I’m thankful for bible verses that encourage us to praise God in the midst of pain. 4 children later, I can testify to God’s goodness and grace!
“I felt challenged by God to sing His praise anyway” Yes! Amen, Carolyn. Thank you for sharing that with me. I felt challenged to sing his praise in the face of miscarriage, too. I can remember driving to a doctor’s appointment literally singing the worship song lyric, “He gives and takes away” and experiencing hard-won but genuine peace.
Thank you for beautiful and inspiring post.
What increased my faith… I think, it was,when I said – Yes – to God´ s plans, which he has with me… and when I then saw – and when I see – with the benefit of hindsight, how everything has its own meaning for my life and for my own ,,welfare´´ ´ . It isn´ t easy, but if I will be patient, I will always see it – earlier or later.
Have a nice weekend.
That’s so true! Saying, “yes” to God’s plans truly does increase our faith. If we only say yes to things we can accomplish in our own strength, we’ll stay comfortable, and our faith will stay small.
Thank you, Becky! This is beautiful and so timely for me. It’s helping me look at things in my life through a different lens. I appreciate your words.
You’re welcome, Jen! I’m so glad you found these words timely.
Wonderful reminders.
Thank you!
Thank you for stopping by, Cele!
Wonderful post, Becky. I went through that same Bible study a few years ago and found it extremely rich. My lazy soul does tend to like the easy way – but just like a muscle will not strengthen without exercise, my faith will not strengthen without doing regular heavy lifting. And while we may not enjoy the sweat and discomfort in the midst of the challenge, how glorious is to come out the other side looking just a little bit more like Jesus!
“just like a muscle will not strengthen without exercise, my faith will not strengthen without doing regular heavy lifting” Exactly!!
Great analogy! Perhaps you should consider writing books. 😉
Thank you for such an uplifting post! It is so helpful to remember that God is always with us when we are going through the hard challenges. He is carrying the burden even if we don’t realize it. Looking back, it is often easy to see His hand, although not always clear at the time. Faith in God’s promises and prayer give us the strength to face the tough times. “Steadfast” is a wonderful word.
Yes, He’s gracious to sometimes give us a glimpse of his hand when we look back. 🙂 The faith-builder is to believe, even when we’re in the midst of a storm, even if we never discern His hand, that His way is still best.
Thanks for all the reminders and encouragements in this post, Becky. I am definitely prone to wanting the easy way of things. But I know God works much more for my good and His glory in the harder way. 🙂
I’m SO prone to wanting the easy way!
Wonderful post, Becky. God has taught me those lessons too.
Question: I own Discerning the Voice of God (in both Kindle and audiobook formats) but have not read it yet. Is there a separate Bible study book/videos/audio or were you using just the “regular” book?
Robin, I did Discerning the Voice of God as part of a women’s summer Bible study at my church. There was a video component that we watched every week that I recommend. Priscilla’s a powerful speaker! In addition to that, we worked our way through the “regular” book. Mine is the “Revised and Expanded” version and it has daily homework.
Boy, oh boy…did I need this message today. I’ve been going through a “hard way” myself for several months now. During this time, I have been digging myself into God’s Word and claiming His promises to me time and time again. My current go-to verse is Psalm 119:50 “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.” I keep reminding myself of God’s faithfulness to me in the past and that ‘this too shall pass’. I have had a few melt downs, but God has NEVER failed or forsaken me and whatever the outcome I want Him to be glorified.
Thank you for sharing this, Amy. You’ve inspired me! I love that you’ve been claiming His promises. Good for you! Because He never breaks a promises. What He says to us in scripture, we have a right to lay claim to as His daughters.
I especially liked this bit:
“Can we trust Him, really trust Him, when we find ourselves in painful places? Can we believe in His character even when we can’t fathom His motives? Can we be assured that He’ll redeem all the suffering He allows, even if we never see how with our own eyes?”
Indeed, we can trust him. It’s not always easy, but it can be done because God proves himself trustworthy time and time again. I’ve experienced that in my own life. He is faithful, whether I am or not. He is with me, always, even when I’m not paying attention to him or looking for him. And so often he has used “his ways” to make me stronger, to make me better, to craft me into the one-and-only me of whom he can see the full potential, even though I may not. God is good!
God is so good! And you’re exactly right. We can trust Him because of what the Bible says. But we can also trust Him because He’s proven Himself trustworthy to each of us in personal ways time and time again.
Becky, you touched my heart through your words. God has definitely used you to encourage me along this writing path. You are so wise and thoughtful and patient. I am so grateful.
I’m grateful for your friendship, Shelli!
God has shown me through all the trials that I’ve faced that He is faithful, He will never leave me, nor will He stop loving me.
So amazing. So true. “Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.” Psalm 36:5
Thank you, Becky Wade,
I have been struggling to have my way. The Lord let me know, yesterday, that he will take care of everything I have been worrying about. Your post today has confirmed what HE has been trying to tell me.
Ah! That’s lovely to hear, Mary.
Very good post today. I can be encouraged when I read certain Christian books like Discerning the Voice of God. I always walk away with things that have helped me grow in my faith and God usually nudges me when I’m reading something He wants me to grasp that applies to my situations in life.
God’s faithful to nudge me that way, too!
Great post! Thanks so much for sharing.
My pleasure!
Whoa, Becky, this is so beautiful! That question – can we really trust Him? – resonates with me so much. There are so many times when I wonder to myself if my trust is only words-deep. Like, I say I do, but do I really? Then I realize, I can even trust my now-and-then lack of trust to Him…because He promises to help me, to be with me…and I think that means even in my doubting seasons. He is so good in His patience!
Anyway, thank you for this post…such a wonderful reminder!
Hello. I’m starting this bible study in a few weeks at church. So excited. There is much to discern with the Holy Spirit. This is a great post. Thanks for sharing.
Right now, I’m learning to trust him with writing and just obeying the call to get up in the morning before the sun rises and just worship Him through words on the page.
I love the worship song “Do It Again.”
“I believe God will make a way where there is no way.”
There is such power in words.
I’ve had to let go of a few dreams and watch God move. Our son is learning God doesn’t want him to take the easy way. For reasons only God knows, a criminology career door is closing. Oh the rejections and heartache. But we believe God will make a way. Every day, I just say, “I believe.”
Our son is coming to terms with this fork in the road and God is showing Mark a different plan.
Our ways are definitely not His ways. Not easy at all.
The promises are many. Great is His faithfulness.