The golfer walked around the green and viewed the location of the ball from several different angles. He carefully prepared to putt as the crowd watched almost breathlessly. When he hit the ball, it looked like he putted the wrong way! It looked as though he had misjudged the putt and the ball was off course.
Amazingly, the ball turned and headed right into the hole. As the crowd cheered, I sat there amazed that he had made the putt. I thought he had putted the ball the wrong way. However, from my view, I could not see the lay of the land on the green. The golfer actually had to putt the ball uphill. The direction and the pace were critical. He judged it perfectly and the ball landed right in the hole.
The Trajectory of Faith
As I thought about this, the Lord spoke to me, "I am a champion at 'putting' people in the right direction with the perfect pace so they can fulfill their destiny. When you think I am 'putting' you the wrong way, remember, I can see the lay of the land. I know your strengths and weaknesses. I will perfect that which concerns you" (Ps. 138:8).
Every man or woman in Christ has a definite trajectory of faith and destiny. When it looks like God is "putting" you the wrong way, remember—He is a champion. He is able by His Spirit to get you in the right place at the right time to fulfill the call of God on your life.
Faith Gets Happy Now
When you look at the life of the Apostle Paul, you will see a man that God is perfectly "putting" to a divine calling and destiny. You can see the genius of God as you see the many turning points in the trajectory of Paul's life. You can also see the spirit of faith working to overcome adversity.
Paul had been stoned, shipwrecked, snake-bit, beaten in the head, and left for dead. He could have said, "I am a tired man, a mistreated man, a lonely man, a disappointed man, a hurting man." If you consider the adversity Paul encountered in his life, you would expect him to say something like that. Instead, Paul described himself as a happy man.
The joy of Jesus strengthened the apostle Paul through all adversity. Paul's assignment was to assemble the thoughts given to him by Jesus and to publish the message throughout the body of Christ. God used him as a mouthpiece to speak and write to believers in every generation. He finished his course with joy and completed the assignment given to him by Jesus Christ (Acts 20:24).
In Philippians, one of his last letters, Paul speaks of joy and rejoicing sixteen times in four short chapters. Towards the end of his life, Paul stood before the leaders of the Roman Empire and said, "I think myself happy" (Acts 26:2). Another translation says, "I have been congratulating myself, King Agrippa." Paul's spirit of faith carried him to his divine destination. He enjoyed the journey in spite of all the adversity he faced. Faith gets happy NOW!
The Ingredients of Faith
We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak…The spirit of faith affects every area of your life. Here, Paul tells us two necessary ingredients to the spirit of faith—believing and speaking.
(2 Cor. 4:13)
Believing is the attitude of faith. You will have an "attitude," but it is your choice to have a spirit of fear and doubt or a spirit of faith. Victor Frankle, survivor of a Nazi concentration camp said this about his adversity: "The last of all human freedoms is the ability to choose one's own attitude regardless of circumstance."
Even in the middle of adversity, your faith will get you to your destination. God will get you there if you will maintain a spirit of faith. You will have to speak to mountains and master your attitudes.
You may not be able to control what has happened to you in life, but you are able to control your attitude. You have the choice to believe and speak what God says about you. You have the choice to be happy on your way to your divine destiny.
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