When your in unfamiliar territory....

"These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."

I Peter 1:7

     So many times we ask ourselves what we have done to deserve some of the things that happen to us. We have been conditioned to believe if something bad is happening we have done something wrong to deserve it. Well we really have to shift our thoughts to understand that sometimes God puts us through different trials to try our faith in him. God doesn't want us to depend on anyone else but him. We sometimes become
dependent on God when it comes to big things in our lives, but make our own decisions concerning the things we think are small or the things "We got"! When we do not trust God with every area of our lives we can find ourselves in unfamiliar territory. God makes clear in Jeremiah 29:11 that he has a plan for each of our lives. Gods plan is to prosper us and give us a blessed future not to harm us in any way. Many of the trials or circumstances we go through are the result of making a decision on our own that catapults us outside of the will of God. Other times God wants to show us just who he is....our constant provider. 

      There are times in our lives when it seems that God isn't there because there would be no way he would allow us to go through so much pain, betrayal, loneliness, or lack. God predestined us for a purpose, he understands that he needs to equip us with the necessary faith, long suffering, love, and joy to get to the destiny he has laid out for us. God has to strengthen our faith he has to stretch our expectation so that we are prepared to do the work he has for us. This strengthening forces us to trust him in areas we have never attempted to before, and by no means is it comfortable. But look at this way.....if you are able to do it on your own then it's not God. The purpose God has placed in each of us requires his power to complete. It's not a easy feat we need him to carry out the purpose he has placed in us. God wants us to go further with him, but to go further we must train our faith for the journey. Think of your faith as a muscle....in order to grow muscle you must exercise it. Well we grow our faith in God by exercising it when we are in unfamiliar territory. 

      When God places us in unfamiliar territory then is the time to exercise our faith. Don't look at your circumstance, pain, or how you feel but rather look to him. Ephesians 3:20 says God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or know but it also goes on to say that he is able to do these things through the power that is at work in us. This scripture is making clear that we have the power to overcome any trial, any circumstance, and trick of the enemy.....any unfamiliar territory if we do it through the exercising of our faith with his power that's within us. If we utilize our faith and power God is able to show us who he is, and his purpose for our lives becomes evident. Our circumstances will become tests to show God that we trust him regardless of what comes our way. How we handle situations shows God that we can be utilized for his glory. 

      So will you choose to let unfamiliar territory increase you faith, allow God to show you his love, and equip you to walk in purpose?  

Kiva Thompkins

Follow me on Twitter & Instagram @ksweet84