When I wrote the book, Unleash God’s Word in Your Life, the book God specifically told me to write, I assumed that He would bless the book immediately after I had it published. I thought surely since it came from God, it will definitely get some recognition. My obedience would be followed by visible fruit—open doors, recognition, and growth. So, when nothing happened, and every effort I made fell flat, advertise the book through ads, social media, and even a tv interview, I was left confused and discouraged. I assumed that was the only way that my book would get seen and that God would bless my efforts.
I was wrong.
We spent $3000 on all that advertising for none of it to produce the results we wanted. I didn’t sell any books. None. Not one. To make matters worse, we didn’t have that kind of money to spend not to get a return on our investment. The worlds way says we need to strive and work hard at promoting ourselves. That’s the only way we are going to get anywhere in life. Although that concept isn’t inherently bad, it might not be God’s way of getting our businesses or us recognized.
As I wrestled with the disappointment and confusion of this season, God gently led me back to Scripture—and it was there that He showed me I wasn’t the first to walk this road, nor was I walking it alone. In the middle of my frustration, God drew my attention to the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis.
Learning from Joseph: Waiting Was Part of God’s Plan
Joseph was wrongfully put in prison for a crime he did not commit. While in prison he interpreted the cupbearer’s dream, who was in prison with him, and Joseph told him to not forget about him when he gets out of prison.
We see that Joseph had seen a way out and asked the cupbearer to remember him. Seems legitimate enough, right? I would have probably done the same thing. If you knew of a way out of a terrible situation you were in, you probably would have tried to accomplish the task of getting out one way or another. But all along God was saying that is not the way you are going to be exalted. Joseph tried to do it by his own efforts, and it didn’t work. The cupbearer didn’t remember him. He forgot and another 2 years passed by with Joesph sitting in prison.
When Our Way Doesn’t Work, God Is Inviting Us to Let Go
This is where I am at in my journey. I have tried many things to get my book noticed and I have failed at it. Just like Joseph, this is a good sign that God wants to do it His way. Many people will succeed when they do things there way, but when you have tried and failed God is saying to you “Let me take care of it.”
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (1 Peter 5:6)
God will let us try to figure it out on our own. He gives us freewill. He will not try to manipulate the situation. He will just sit back and wait for us to come to Him. He wants to work in such a way as we are left saying, “Only God could have done this.”
God’s Timing Brings Him Glory—Not Ours
If things would have worked out the way Joseph first intended with the cupbearer, God would not have been glorified. Joseph would have done it by his own efforts. Joseph would have taken all the credit and things might not have turned out the way they did.
We continue the story and two years have gone by, and the cupbearer finally remembers Joseph. Joseph is removed from prison and taken to the Pharaoh, where he interprets Pharaoh’s dreams. Pharaoh is so impressed by Joseph, he makes him governor of Egypt leaving Joseph in charge of everything. God blesses Joseph beyond measure, and all this happened because God was left to do it His way. Not our way, His way.
In my situation if things would have worked out the way I thought they would have, by using ads and social media, I would have given the credit to the ads instead of God.
The only thing God asked of me was to write the book. He didn’t ask me to go promote it and try to sell it. Why do we then feel the need to help a God who is perfectly capable of doing it all?
What a compliment it is when God wants to take control over a situation in our lives. By Him getting involved things may not go the way we think, but they will be better than what we could ever imagine.
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