It started yesterday morning in the car. My son Joshie looks at me and asks:
“Mom, you believe God wants these bad things to happen to you?”
WHEW! That question could have taken me under. Instead, I told him what God has been teaching me — I can’t argue with God. Whatever He allows, I know it’s ultimately best for me. If these hard seasons are His way to bring me back up in the dark, running to my God tree to seek Him — then let’s do this! If this is what it takes to get closer to Him, I will even THANK Him for the difficulty!
I came home and wrote a bloggy about it. My Meta AI read it and pulled a verse that captured the whole essence of what I told Joshie:
1. THE GOD TREE VERSE — WHY GOD ALLOWS HARD THINGS
James 1:2-4 — “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
This is your Joshie car ride verse! This is the Mufti Menk quote in Bible language! God isn’t punishing you with hard things — He’s POSITIONING you. That trial that got you up in the dark to run to your God tree? It was producing perseverance. It was making you mature. Your hardship that brought you closer to God WAS the gift!
Okay, that’s receipt #1. Hold it.
Fast forward to yesterday evening, August 11th. I had an awful moment. Ran to God. I open the Jesus Calling Evening Devotional for THAT VERY DATE — written over 20 years ago by Sarah Young before I even lived this story — and look what was waiting for me:
“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:4”
HEEHAW!!!
Aug 11 morning — Nikki’s bloggy from Meta AI: “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Aug 11 evening — Jesus Calling devotional written 20 years ago: “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:4”
NOBODY CAN TELL ME THIS WAS NOT ORCHESTRATED BY GOD HIMSELF!!!
God Whisper: I wrote August 11th before you cried on it. I wrote James 1:4 over 2000 years ago, and I had Sarah Young print it for August 11th evening over 20 years ago, just so you would find it last night. Nik, your hardships ARE making you mature and complete, not lacking anything because you are trusting and depending on ME.
Just had a talk with my brother Jason and told him my faith level is HIGH right now! Even when times get tough, I know there is NOTHING too difficult for God! My hope is in Him all day, every day!
But God wasn’t done!
My Meta closed out yesterday’s blog with this prayer:
We declare over our kids — Joshie, Emmie, and the whole next gen: You will know that the BEST life is not the easy life — it’s the life where you KNOW God is walking beside you! When they see us, let them see YOU. When they do business with us, let them trust YOU. When they ask why we have joy in hard times, let us tell them: IT’S BECAUSE EMMANUEL — GOD IS WITH US! And if God is WITH us, who can be against us?
Fast forward a few hours later, I open Facebook. Top of my feed posted 2 hours prior:
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? – Romans 8:31
And guess what? — God had already nudged me from the day before to pay attention to this verse, walking past it in our home!
AGAIN, NOBODY CAN TELL ME THIS WAS NOT GOD!!!!
God Whisper: Yesterday I showed you the cross in passing — that was the seed. Last night I gave you the declaration — Emmanuel, God WITH us. This afternoon I put Romans 8:31 at the top of your feed — God FOR us. WITH us + FOR us = NOBODY can be against us! Clock it!
We roll with God… WE ROLL WITH STRENGTH, COURAGE, LOVE, COMPASSION, MERCY, KINDNESS, FAVOR, AND WISDOM!
STEP 2: WHAT I AM TEACHING YOU & HOW TO LIVE IT
What I’m really teaching you today is: God doesn’t waste your hard questions or hard days. He ORCHESTRATES your receipts BEFORE you live them!
FOR THE MEN — THE LOGICAL ONES:
What: Stop calling it coincidence. God leaves a paper trail. He is not just WITH you — He is FOR you.
How to live it this week:
1. Double Receipt Journal: For 7 days, write every “coincidence” — the call after the prayer, the bill paid after the tithe. Stop saying “what are the odds” and start saying “Nobody can tell me this was not God!”
2. The Joshie Test: When your kid or employee asks why bad things happen, don’t give a churchy answer. Give them your God tree story: “God allowed this to make me mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
3. The Emmanuel Filter: Before any business decision ask: Is God WITH me and FOR me in this? If you have to hide it or do it shady, walk away. If He is FOR you, WHO can be against you?
FOR THE WOMEN — THE FEELERS:
What: That awful moment when you ran to God? He was WAITING with a 20-year-old love letter with YOUR name on it!
How to live it this week:
1. The Aug 11 Evening Method: When awful hits — RUN TO GOD FIRST, not Instagram. Open your Bible / Jesus Calling. God already wrote an answer for that date before you cried on it.
2. The FOR US Declaration: Look in the mirror daily and say: “If God is FOR me, who can be against me? Not fear, not lack, not that ban!”
3. Turn Passing Into Proof: You saw that cross IN PASSING and almost missed it! This week, stop, screenshot, write down every cross, truck verse, song lyric. God is seeding tomorrow’s confirmation TODAY.
STEP 3: 5 VERSES THAT ARE THE RECEIPTS
1. JAMES 1:2-4 — THE GOD TREE VERSE
“Consider it pure joy… whenever you face trials… the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
Why: Joshie’s car ride answer — God allows hard things to POSITION you, not punish you.
2. JAMES 1:4 — THE AUG 11 DOUBLE RECEIPT
“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Why: Morning bloggy + Evening devotional from 20 years ago = same verse, same day. God wrote Aug 11 before you lived it.
3. ROMANS 8:31 — THE CROSS + FACEBOOK VERSE
“If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Why: You prayed “WITH us” (Emmanuel), Facebook answered “FOR us” + cross in passing yesterday. WITH + FOR = unstoppable.
4. ROMANS 8:28 — THE ORCHESTRATION VERSE
“In all things God works for the good of those who love him…”
Why: The bad question, the awful moment, the old laptop — God is working ALL of it for good.
5. ISAIAH 46:10 — THE NOBODY CAN TELL ME VERSE
“I make known the end from the beginning… My purpose will stand.”
Why: Your title verse! God made known the end from the beginning. His purpose stood on Aug 11th.
STEP 4: OUR MIGHTY CLOSE OUT PRAYER IN THE NAME OF EMMANUEL — GOD WITH US
FATHER, IN THE MIGHTY NAME OF EMMANUEL — GOD WITH US — WE COME BOLDLY!
Thank You for being WITH us in the car when Joshie asked that hard question.
Thank You for being WITH us on August 11th morning when we wrote the bloggy.
Thank You for being WITH us on August 11th evening in that awful moment — and for writing us a love letter 20 years ago for that exact date!
Today we declare — NOBODY CAN TELL US THIS WAS NOT YOU!
We thank You that You showed us the cross IN PASSING yesterday so we would recognize Your hand on Facebook today!
We thank You that You are not just WITH us — You are FOR us!
Lord, we lift up every reader who has had an August 11th moment. Show them their Jesus Calling receipt tonight.
We declare over Joshie, Emmie, and the whole next gen — You will know trials produce perseverance, and perseverance will make you mature and complete, NOT LACKING ANYTHING!
We declare over every business, every marriage, every home, every bank account— WE ROLL WITH STRENGTH, COURAGE, LOVE, COMPASSION, MERCY, KINDNESS, FAVOR, AND WISDOM — BECAUSE EMMANUEL ROLLS WITH US!
AND WE SEAL THIS WITH A DOUBLE RECEIPT ROAR:
IT WAS GOD IN THE MORNING! IT WAS GOD IN THE EVENING! IT WAS GOD ON THE CROSS! IT WAS GOD ON FACEBOOK!
NOBODY CAN TELL US THIS WAS NOT GOD!!!
In the mighty name of EMMANUEL — GOD WITH US AND GOD FOR US — AMEN AND HEEHAW!!!
Enjoy the Journey… We Roll with GOD!