I know you know this, but we all need a reminder sometimes. Your Heavenly Father isn’t testing you to see if you’re good enough, and he’s not punishing you when you’re not. He is, however, brilliant at using the difficult circumstances of this world to train you to be amazing at overcoming them.
God saw shepherd-boy David as king, but the path to get there had increasingly bigger challenges which prepared him for it. Lion and bear attacks helped get him ready for Goliath. Goliath and his family’s disdain better prepared him for Saul. Saul’s rejection, jealousy, bitterness, and hate trained David not just to be a king, but to be a good one.
In almost every difficulty, David faced it by writing, singing, and talking to God from the depths of his heart. No matter what people thought of him, the intimacy he grew in with God him is what equipped him for heartaches and blessings in relationships, disappointments and successes in leadership, and failures and victories in himself.
The wilderness you’ve been going through isn’t punishment, and you haven’t been forgotten. Just the opposite. Jesus is right there with you, cheering you on as he trains you to overcome fear, bitterness, and every challenge on your journey. He’s equipping you with everything you need to thrive, not just survive.
Like David, you are royal, a celebrated heir of the King of the universe. No matter what Goliath situation you’re facing, you get to think, speak, write, sing, fight, live, and love through it as kingdom royalty.
“All who have asked Jesus to remove the stone cover from their hearts can now see and reflect his glory. Through ever-greater revelations of him, his Spirit will transform us to be more and more like him” (2 Corinthians 3:18, paraphrase).
Equip Your Spirit 