Trusting in the process

When it comes to reading, studying, writing, and words altogethe,r two of my favorite things are definitions and quotes.  I love our day and age of memes where we have so many inspirational quotes at our disposal.  But what about meme's we see that are supposed to motivate us, but instead they leaving us wanting more?  Like these....

Blah, blah, blah...they're supposed to inspire me, but all they do is leave me feeling impatient.  I need more to go on here if I'm ever going to be able to trust in this process.
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Probably the #1 rule when you are wanting something to change in your life, or you're waiting out a process, is to have faith, right?  We need to believe in the fruition of whatever the process is, we need to believe in ourselves, and we need to believe in God to get us there.  Again this seems easy and inspirational, but I still need more.  So I looked up verses and found one that I'm going to use as my foundation...the foundation in which I'm going to put my faith in towards my process.  Remember faith comes first!

Isaiah 29:14 (KJV)

Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder.

Check out that word proceed.  In the dictionary the word proceed means:

1. to move or go forward, especially after stopping, 
2. to carry on or continue any action or process
3. to continue one's discourse
4. to go forward in an orderly way

In my walk with God I have had so many periods of stop and go's that I could have easily shrugged this off thinking there's no way I'm going to get there now. But my job is to believe in God, whether or not it takes 1 year, 3 years, or 30 years. What if part of our process is the times of stopping?  What am I going through that He will use later? What if the process is indefinete?  Nowhere does it say God is ever finished with us, so why do I become so impatient when I think it's too late for me?   He is proceeding to do a marvelous work, and since proceeding means moving forward, I have to trust in the process.  

In that definition another word stuck out at me...it's orderly.  The definition for order is:

1. an authorative direction or instruction, command; mandate
2. established sequence or procedure

So again, here is where our faith comes in.  The process has already been set in an authorative direction, and established.  So even when we miss the mark, even when we feel like we have completely gone backwards and will never see the desired outcome we have to remember thats where His grace comes in.  He's already set things in motion, and when we do mess up His grace is there to cover it and get us back on the path again.

Hebrews 4:16 KJV

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

  For me, I've really struggled with this.  So many times I've fallen back into old patterns, years can pass without a step forward,  But still..... the direction and command of God has already happened, He's just waiting on me to acknowledge His grace amd forgiveness. then get back to it.  

Ready for a coouple more definitions? How about established? 

 

Establish: 

1. to set in a secure position.
2. to prove

And sequence means: 

1. the number of things or events that follow each other
2. the order in which things occur

Wow! To know that all of that is being done for us (or shall I say already has been done), amazes me.  When we reflect on our lives, the events, the people, the ups and downs, and most importantly our hearts, it's easy to see how God has worked.  Knowing  that I'm in a secure position right now, even though I dont always feel it, is both inspiring and comforting.  So next time you hear someone tell you to trust the process, remember that you are going forward in an established sequence, set in a secure position, in the order in which it's supposed to occur.