I was talking to a friend about the big vision she has for her “life purpose project.” It’s one of those grand ideas that come through inspiration . . . the kind you know God wants you to pursue and which ties in masterfully with your life purpose. The challenge is that it’s so big it feels daunting and she knows there’s no way she can possibly achieve it on her own. Perhaps you know the feeling?

Dozens of questions run through my friend’s mind… “What if I don’t get this item or that resource? How will I support myself if I’m giving all my time and energy to this project? What if someone steals my idea?”

I’ve spoken to her for almost a year about this and encouraged her to go ahead and get some people together and take some initial steps, but it’s never happened. Then, in a moment of epiphany, she realized that God was just waiting on her to walk forward. She realized that she needs to take what action she knows to take and trust God to bring her the pieces she needs when she needs them. I chuckled when she told me this and she noted, “You’re laughing at me… why are you laughing?”

My response was, “By George, I think she’s got it!”

I’m sure she doesn’t remember the dozens of times I tried to tell her this very thing. Funny how you can’t convey this to people… they just have to “get it” in their own way in their own time. Isn’t Heavenly Father amazingly patient?!

I know He’s been ever-patient with me over the last few years as I’ve been learning this very same lesson. He’s been tutoring me in how to have faith, step into the darkness, and trust that what I need will be brought to me when I really need it.  I’ve learned that what you “need” is rarely brought to you before the very last moment.

Wallace Wattles said it this way, “by faith the thing you want is brought to you and by action you receive it.” Action is necessary, crucial and utterly irreplaceable. In God’s eyes, you don’t need it until you need it. Furthermore, if you aren’t moving your feet as far as you can move them, He won’t give you what you think you need. Frankly, you don’t need it yet!

Think about it from Heavenly Father’s perspective. He’s given you a big vision. He’s prompted you with an action to take. If you don’t take that action because you’re afraid of what will or won’t come next, then what does that say about your faith in Him? If you don’t have faith to do the little things, what makes you think you have sufficient faith to do something miraculous? Inaction on spiritual promptings is a sign that you need to build some faith muscles. He’ll help you build those muscles by

1. making you wait until the very last possible second so you recognize His hand and learn by experience that He won’t drop you; and
2. not giving you the very thing you think you need until you learn to listen to Him and do what He tells you to do . . . one step at a time.

This is why God rarely gives you tomorrow’s solutions today. Jesus taught it this way, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” Matthew 6:34.  Today holds within it today’s solutions. It seldom holds tomorrow’s because God is trying to teach you to walk by faith. He wants you to do everything within your power — everything you know to do to take action toward your goals. Then He will step in and bring you what you need when you need it.

Set your intention, pray for a confirmation from the Lord that you’re on the right path and then walk forward in faith, trusting that the next thing you need will be brought to you. It will be, if the course you are pursuing is in alignment with God’s will for you (if you’ve gotten the confirmation, then you’ll know this)!

When Jesus sent forth his disciples to preach, to teach and to heal, He sent them without purse or scrip. Just before his crucifixion when He had his disciples gathered around Him He said, “When I sent you without purse and scrip and shoes, lacked ye anything? And they said, Nothing” (Luke 22:35).

Neither will you lack anything if you walk forward in faith on the path God has shown you. Doubt not, fear not, be believing, and act now on the circumstances, people, and things in your current environment. Do your part, and trust God to deliver what you need next . . . no sooner . . . and no later than you absolutely need it.  It actually becomes fun to watch Him pull through in miraculous times and ways. I challenge you to stop fretting and enjoy the journey!