Like so many of you, I have often asked God to show me his will for my life. I have asked him to use me for his glory and have prayed countless times to walk in His divine destiny for my life. Then, one day God asked me, what are you willing to go through to get there?

It was during a time when I was stripping my fireplace mantel to its’ natural wood that I received a very interesting revelation. Naively, I expected the stripping process to take two to three day’s tops to complete, so armed with stripping solutions, power sander, floor covering, gloves, and protected eyewear I was set to go.

After applying the solution and allowing it to take affect, like an eager beaver I started scraping away. To my dismay and days later I was no where near completion. As I removed one layer, it revealed another layer, which revealed another layer, and so on and so on and so forth. I’m sure you get the picture. I also discovered that care and special attention was needed while removing the paint from the mantel edges due to its’ detailed carvings. A special sharp edged scraping tool had to be used and the slightest slip could damage the intricate artwork. Frustrated, and ready to give up, I yelled “GOD WHAT'S UP WITH THIS” and he politely answered, you.

Stunned and somewhat bewildered, I listened as He reminded me that my home was built in 1947, and there was 59 years of paint layered on top of the wood and stripping it down to its’ “original state” would be a long and delicate process that would require my patience and endurance.

Like you, God stated, I must strip away the years of bad habits, the years of disappointments, the years of anger, the years of fear, the years of frustration, the years of sorrow, and your years of pain, to get you where I need you to be. I must strip you of yourself, with nothing left to stand in my way of moving you into your destiny. Again, he asked me, “What are you willing to go through to get there”?

In a last ditch attempt to ease or divert whatever suffering I thought I was about to go through, I quickly reminded him (as though he really needed to be reminded) of my plans, my visions and dreams. In a bold stance, I cried out “God your word says, “You will never give me more than I can handle”, and as a loving and gentle Father he responded, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 NKJV. “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 NKJV. I would love to say that I immediately submitted to being stripped, but I knew what he had called me to do, what my desire was and to get there I had to relinquished my will and my self totally to him.

Was the process painful? Absolutely! Did it break me down? Absolutely! Did I feel lost and alone? Absolutely! However, where there was pain, he gave me peace. When I was broken, he rebuilt me strong and mighty. When I felt lost and alone, he carried me, he covered me and took me by the hand and loving guided me through each process step by step.

For many of you this revelation may be simplistic in thought, but I guarantee that it is superior in evidence as he continues to prepare me for my destiny. As far as my fireplace mantel, it too continues to be a work in progress.

God loves us so much that he knows exactly what it will take to get us where he needs us to be. He always has our best interest in mind. God is interested in his best interest for us not our best interest for ourselves. Therefore, I submit this question to you. What are you willing to go through to get there?

Being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you is faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 NKJV.

In His Presence
Jouneys Road