Jennifer woke up on Christmas morning with a nagging headache and a heavy weight in the pit of her stomach. A year ago, after quitting a series of desk jobs that she felt drained her creatively, she started her own cookie business, but it hadn’t been nearly as profitable as she had hoped. She worked herself to the bone the weeks leading up to the holidays. She had lots of orders but not enough help. Baking the cookies was her favorite part, and packaging with her logo and special touches gave her a blast of confidence and joy every time, but it was all so expensive. Jennifer hadn’t thought about these kinds of details when she started the business. She was tired, lonely, and worried that she might fail yet again.
Money running out caused a lot of anxiety, but more on her mind and heart on Christmas morning was why things were not going as smoothly as she had prayed and planned. Jennifer was ecstatic when she first received the revelation that her love for baking could be a way to both bless others and make a living as well. It wasn’t a matter of having enough courage, she had plenty of that. For a long time, she had been so unhappy with the way her life was going that she felt she couldn’t go on that way and had no other choice but to make a change. She was eager and hopeful to get her business off the ground, of course, but Jennifer didn’t leap into things hastily. She prayed and waited on the Lord’s green light before quitting her last job and baking cookies full time.
In the beginning, the move of the Spirit was blatantly apparent. Everything opened up for her like the parting of the Red Sea. Her friends and church were very supportive, and so was everyone else who tasted Jennifer’s cookies, but as the months went on, the bottom was slowly beginning to fall from beneath her. The expenses escalated while she was too busy to keep track. Frantically trying to get things under control, Jennifer began to do what so many of us do when things don’t go the way we expect, she blamed God and thought He had forgotten her. This is never the case.
Isaiah 58:11(NLT) says, “The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.” God brings water to our dryness, but we must recognize that even when He’s given a greenlight to our plans, there will be areas of dryness. There will be unforeseen cracks that give the enemy just enough space to squeeze through. We often overestimate our own spiritual diligence and underestimate the enemy’s watchful eye for an opening. Years on this Christian journey should condition us for this, but sometimes it catches us by surprise.
The thing we must remember is that God is always on our side. 1Corinthians 10:13(NLT) tells us, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” Our Heavenly Father is not going to withhold any good thing from those who love and honor Him; Psalm 84:11 tells us this. He gives us wonderful blessings, and when we have bumps along the way, He has already provided a way of escape, a way for us to deal with the hiccups so we can continue living a bountiful life through Jesus Christ.
God tells us in 1Timothy 6:12(NLT), “Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.” As believers, we must prepare our minds and hearts for the reality that there is no place in life where the good fight of faith will not be required. Jennifer didn’t consider this. She had been too busy with the business to take time to study God’s Word and hear His voice. This is a different time that we’re living in, and we must be prepared for the acceleration of spiritual attacks by staying close to the Lord.
Learning greater lessons of gratitude, patience, and faith are baked into every experience and encounter of life. If we remain close to God through prayer, fasting, and meditating and studying His Word, we’ll hear His voice as He gives us strategies and direction. The psalmist said in Psalm 94:18(NLT), “I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me.” This is always the case with our powerful and loving Heavenly Father. He’s watching our every move. Nothing escapes Him, and no matter what comes our way, He will keep our feet from falling when our trust is firmly anchored in Him. ∎
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
“God Brings Water to Our Dryness”, written by Fran Mack. Edits by Kim Times and K. Stephens for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2024. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.