Don't PANIC, This is Just a TEST

Have you ever trusted God for something, so much that you stayed expectant, only to be faced with something that completely dashed your hope? You were so sure of the promises God made to you, you even had an idea in your head how that promise was going to play out, you were steadily visualizing your miracle. Even though there was a big challenge (giant) standing in the way but you trust God, you trust that there is nothing impossible before him, so nothing can move you, or so you think. Then alas, even with all your faith and prayers, it seemed like the giant only grew stronger and one day something major happened that made you extremely uncomfortable and frustrated, that was just the height of it for you! It could even be a promotion or something you really thought you deserved but somehow, someone else got it and not you.

Then you begin to wonder if God's promises will ever come to pass, why is he letting you suffer like this? This is taking too long and then you conclude, you know what? I don't have to wait anymore, I keep getting disappointed because I keep hoping but it looks like there's just no way this is going to happen, so I'm just going to give up hoping or walk away from it all. Or you do something like what Abraham and Sarah did, get into the works of the flesh, get a bright idea of your own and try to do things your own way. Well, you're only going to end up giving birth to an Ishmael, and that's just going to delay God's promises and cause you a long term problem (if you know what I mean).

Tests are good for us, they shake us up and bring out what is really in us, not what we think is in us. The truth is.. we don't know what we really believe until it is tested, and if this is happening to you right now, then I have come to tell you this- "don't panic, this is just a test".
Sometimes, the devil puts the giants in our way and God allows them stay for a purpose but other times God himself even arranges the giants, he sets us up in order to get us to a higher level of character. God has the power to chase out your giants with immediate effect but he wouldn't do that, he chases them out little by little, to do a work in you and to keep you humble. If he sends them out all at once, your pride may set in because you may be tempted to think you did it all by yourself or you may think yourself more highly than you really are. "Humanly speaking it is impossible but with God everything is possible- Matthew 19:26".

"Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up in honor- James 4:10".
I didn't fully understand this scripture until I was faced with a really tough situation and I had two options:

1. Humble myself and do what I know God is leading me to do, even though it is really HARD or
2. Get upset, complain, make excuses like this is not fair, why do I have to do this? Cry a river, cry some more, get tempted to walk away from the situation so I don't have to face it at all.

You want to guess the option I chose? Of-course I chose option 2 at first... I'm only human and I was still a baby Christian, still getting to know how God works. Then I heard the word from God "don't panic, this is just a test" Haaa! The tears increased like whaaat!!! Test??? Why the test? What have I done to deserve this, God I don't understand this, what is the purpose of this test, why can't my life just be normal like my friends', why do I have to go through so much, on and on and on I went until I finally calmed down... Then James 4:10 dropped into my spirit, Comfort... humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up in honor.

You see, I love Joyce Meyer so much, gosh! She's my mentor, my second mom, almost everything I know now I learned from her, I listen to her podcasts every single day and I just thank God for her.
The reason I finally calmed down was because I realized, that since this is a test, then I must pass it with patience and a good attitude, if I walk away from it, I will only end up delaying God's promise. Then I will get to REPEAT the class, meaning, I will only end up finding myself in another similar situation or even worse because as Joyce Meyer said- in God's school you don't get to fail, you only get to repeat a class over and over again until you pass, then you will get promoted to a higher level.

I realized that God won't change his mind, once he has decided that something is going to be a certain way, then it will be that way or you will be miserable. Usually when God tests us it's because there's something ugly in us that we probably didn't even know was there and he wants to get rid of, so he can bring you into the place (promise) he has prepared for you or because there's something we've been ignoring for so long that is going to destroy us if we continue to let it stay and God is trying to make us face it. So if God singles you out like that, you better get in line with him quickly, or else you'll find yourself going round and around the same stupid mountain over and over again.
2 Corinthians 12:8-9: Three times I begged the Lord to take it away, each time he said "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. 

As soon as I realized God isn't taking it away until I pass the test, I quickly humbled myself sharply because I can't shout...this mountain is already hard enough, I couldn't imagine myself repeating it for the third time, yes I said third time because this is actually a repeat class, I had been through such before, I ran away from it when I could no longer take it, then it showed up again in another form and it's an even bigger giant. I'm like okay God... I finally get it... I surrender, just do the work you want to do in me with this one, I'm so done, I will cooperate pleeaassee... As soon as I made that decision to humble myself and cooperate with God, I felt a heavy weight lifted off me. Jeez! I didn't even know how much unnecessary weight I was carrying on my shoulders, I thought I was completely trusting God and was at rest but I didn't know what rest was until I was faced with a big test and chose humility. And it leaves me wondering, what if your greatest problem is actually the solution? Your greatest miracle will come from the place of your greatest frustration. And if you're very frustrated right now, then the conditions are right for a miracle, because that's when God usually shows up, in our weakest moments.

Like me, you may not fully understand why you have to go through all you are right now, but I'm assuring you one thing, that if you just tell God, Lord I don't understand all these but I trust you, you are good and your plans for me are good, so I choose to humble myself and let you do your thing, I am not going to worry anymore how this is going to happen, I leave all the details to you, I choose to wait with a good attitude and let patience have it's complete work in me, so I will be perfect and needing nothing. James 1:2-6.

Why run from a giant that is already defeated? Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised it is faithful- Hebrews 10:23   
Let us not be tired of doing what is good, at just the right time, we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. Galatians 6:9. 
Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.- Proverbs 23:18.