If I had a penny for every time God has brought me full circle in my life in given situations then I would be booking the first flight to the Bahamas for a long, relaxing vacation! Too bad for me I never thought to collect the pennies. But what an amazing God we have who allows us room to grow and the eyes to see His deliverance.
I want to share one of my favorite Gilgal moments. Back in 2004 God really caught me off guard as I found myself sitting in my first Bible Study class amidst total strangers. To say I was uncomfortable, intimidated, and full of dread would be an understatement at best. I had no idea what to expect from a Bible Study and was still unsure of all the books in the Bible, let alone where I might find a specific verse if ever asked to read one. But, lo and behold, God found a way to park my backside in a chair for twelve straight weeks and listen to His teachings.
The study was Believing God by Beth Moore. The premise of the study was that God is who He says He is, God can do what He says He can do, I am who God says I am, I can do all things with Christ, and God’s word is alive and active in me. And it was the principal that “I am who God says I am” that pierced me deep within. It was during the study that I realized I didn’t even know who I was, in fact, I had never really thought about it.
What I did know was what I didn’t like about myself. And what I learned was that I had allowed the circumstances of my life – my upbringing, experiences, and perceptions – to define who I was instead of believing I could be or already was something more beautiful and worthy in God’s eyes. God opened my heart for the first time in a way that I could really see the “me He had created” and not the “me reflected in the mirror” with all its imperfections.
God brought me full circle in an area of deep personal pain and revealed to me the blessings that could come from my sufferings if I dared to travel through the hurt with Him at my side. He taught me that He makes beauty from ashes if we believe in His love, trust in His promises, and allow Him to heal us from within. I was able to receive my own Ebenezer stone and proclaim, “thus far the Lord has helped me.” 1 Samuel 7:12
Are you able to see God’s providence in your life? Do you recognize that no matter how difficult things have been or now are in your life that “thus far the Lord has helped you”? Keep holding on to that blessing…and let God bring you full circle in an area you never thought possible. You can do all things through Christ…believe it, believe Him, and love the you He fearfully and wonderfully made along the way.
Thanks for sharing. I was told some years ago that a transition from one aspect to another was a Gilgal in my life. God has been and continues to be faithful