Devotion By Dianna Hobbs // Your Daily Cup of Inspiration

Sometimes God has got to move you from where you are to push you into your destiny. Although the pushing seems uncomfortable, it's all for your making.

When my husband and I first relocated from Buffalo, New York to Wilmington, Delaware, boy was it ever a culture shock! Everything was different. There were cobblestone roads in certain parts of town, old-world village-type neighborhoods, and the quintessential small town feel. We thought Buffalo was slow until we went to Delaware.

I remember feeling so homesick and sad. Many days I cried and prayed. God, why have I been uprooted from everything familiar to me? Why am I in this space? How am I supposed to make this adjustment?

Everything I knew and loved was back home, you know? I was pitiful. While hubby would be off working in Philadelphia, across state lines, I would be at home in Delaware with the kids, trying to create a sense of tranquility and normalcy.

But truth is, while I would play and laugh with the children, deep down inside I felt so displaced and alone. My heart ached and yearned after the comforts of home. I didn’t know how I would ever be reconnected to a network of people or a good church home.

The culture was different; the mentality was different; the mannerisms and temperaments of people were different. Everything felt different.

It was hard, lonely, trying, and sometimes, downright depressing. But you know what? God matured me through that process of uprooting. He nurtured me and developed in me a level of independence and drive I had never known before.

It wasn't until I moved to a strange place that I discovered who I really was. God began opening my mind to new things and planting dreams in my heart. I didn't even understand why at the time. Empowering Everyday Women Online Magazine and Your Daily Cup of Inspiration blog were both launched during that season in Delaware. No one knew me in the Tri-State region. I didn't know where the readers would come from. But God told me to launch.

And I did.

I believe to this day that had I not been moved from my comfort zone, I would have never tapped into my destiny. Though I couldn't see what God was doing then, I now know that there was purpose in the move.

Are you going through a transition of some sort that has you baffled and feeling uncomfortable? If so, you're on your path to destiny.

In Genesis 39, we see Joseph, a man God promised to make into a powerful ruler. He was uprooted from the comforts of home and forcibly sold into Egyptian slavery by his jealous brothers. What a culture shock!

He went from being his daddy’s favorite son to being a slave in a foreign nation. But God was going to use this experience to bring the best out of Joseph and to accomplish His plan.

Joseph’s Master, Potiphar, noticed what an excellent servant he was and as a result, promoted him. Joseph became administrator over everything Potiphar owned. This was great on-the-job experience for Joseph’s future position as the Prince over Egypt and second in command to Pharaoh. Had Joseph not learned to manage Potiphar’s affairs, and eventually his entire household, he would not have had the strong administrative skills he needed.

Even after Joseph was thrown in jail because a false accusation of sexual misconduct was levied against him by Potiphar’s deceitful and seductive wife, he excelled behind bars. He interpreted dreams, which eventually exposed his gift to the king’s cupbearer. Years later, that very same cupbearer would introduce Joseph to Pharaoh when he was in need of a dream interpreter.

See how strategic God is? He used unfavorable circumstances to get Joseph to the place he was ultimately supposed to be.

Friend, I know you may be in an uncomfortable situation right now. Things might not make a whole lot of sense. But this road is leading you somewhere great. You have an amazing destiny despite being stuck in a not-so-amazing situation today.

In this current season, you may feel very uncomfortable and imprisoned by your circumstances, but you’re not in prison. You’re in prep school. God is preparing you for what’s coming. Hold on. This isn’t the end of your story. God is getting you ready for an incredible breakthrough. Just as Joseph reached his place of divine purpose, so will you. Your day of release is coming.

And let me leave you with this. After Joseph settled into his new role as governor and got married, he had children. He named his second son Ephraim and I want to stir the words he said about the naming of his seed, found in Genesis 41:52 NASB, into your cup of inspiration. Joseph said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

As you drink down the contents of your cup, know that your land of affliction will also be your place of fruitfulness. God is on your side. He is preparing you for your breakthrough. Your wilderness is leading you to your promised land.

Keep your expectation up and keep going.

“This may not be your favorite season, but it still is your FAVORED season. God is favoring you even in the midst of unfavorable circumstances!”

— Dianna Hobbs