27th Nov - “As the Year Closes… Remember This: Growth Doesn’t Always Look Like Progress.”

As the year closes, a lot of us sit with this quiet ache…That feeling of “I hoped I’d be further by now.”More healed, more confident, more disciplined, more “together, and further along to achieving my goals and dreams. ”To be more of the person we saw in our prayers and vision boards at the start of the year.

But here’s the truth no one tells you when you’re dreaming big with God that: Between you and your promised land, there will always be a war with your potential.

That's why it's important to understand that the word God spoke to you is going to be tested and worked out in you, before you possess it. God grows you into the person who can carry what’s already yours.

When the Israelites stood in front of their promised land, God said something wild:

“I will not drive them out in a single year… little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.”(Exodus 23:29–30)

Imagine standing on the border of everything God has for you: cities already built, crops already growing, an entire economy ready to hand you the keys…and God says:

“It’s yours. But I’m releasing it to you… slowly.”

Why? Because He has to make you bigger on the inside, than the blessing is on the outside. Otherwise the blessing has the ability to crush the person it was meant to empower.

Promotion is God's idea. Blessing is His idea. Inheritance is His idea. He wants this for you more than you want it for yourself.

But He loves you too much to rush you.

And if you don’t understand that? You’ll to easily misread the process as punishment. You’ll mistake development for delay.You’ll see growth as failure.You’ll think conflict means you’re doing something wrong, when scripture actually says:

“Persecution comes because of the word.”(Mark 4:17 NIV)

Just like the Israelites, every promise God gives us comes with a process. They had to grow, develop, and mature step by step so they were big enough on the inside to inherit the land God had already prepared for them. The resistance they faced wasn’t punishment — it was preparation. And it’s the same for us. Jesus leads and guides us through each step, growing our capacity so the blessing on the outside doesn’t crush us, but strengthens us.

So as you look back at your year… don’t let discouragement write the story. Look for the threads of grace woven through the ordinary moments.

Look for the conversations where God spoke, the ways He moved, the places where your vision sharpened and your maturity stretched. Notice the “faith muscles” you didn’t even realise you were building. And pay attention to what God trusted you with — even the hard things — because just like the Israelites, He’s been growing you step by step, making you bigger on the inside so you can inherit what’s already yours.

And then… give thanks. Because you’re not behind. He’s been forming you into someone who can carry the very things you’ve been praying for.

The process is actually beautiful. And you’re further along than you think.

✨ ACTION STEPS

1. Look back with kindness. Write down 5 ways you grew this year - not achievements, but character shifts, inner strength, or moments God carried you.

2. Rename the “slow, feeling stuck parts.”Anywhere you've felt stuck, delayed, or disappointed - rewrite it as development. Replace “I failed” with “God was working oon me.”

3. Ask God what He’s growing next. Pray: "Jesus, what do You want to build in me over the next 12 weeks? ”Keep your goals small, honest, and heart-felt."

4. Speak the promise you’re fighting with. Choose one scripture or prophetic word God has spoken over your life and declare it daily over your life and situation.

   
   

✨ THINK & SAY

“I’m not behind. I’m being formed and God is growing me little by little, and I'm doing okay."

✨ BIBLE VERSE

“Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.” - Exodus 23:30 (NIV)

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)

✨ PRAYER

Jesus, thank You for walking with me through every part of this year - the big wins, the "what the" days, and every moment that stretches me. Please help me see my growth the way You do, not through disappointment but through the truth that You’re shaping and working in me. Thank you that you are making me bigger on the inside and continue to teach me to trust Your process, celebrate my progress, and stay soft hearted, grateful, and expectant. I’m not behind - I’m becoming all you made me to be. In Jesus' name Amen