Genesis 32:31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.

Today’s Bible blog comes from the Closing Words of my book The Norman Factor – which my wife Jedidja Borkent has written.

“My husband and I know many people who have been believing for a particular breakthrough. Yet breakthrough has not come yet. Maybe you are one of them. I can imagine that after reading this book, you still have questions that are lingering. After all, you have prayed, praised, pushed and declared like a whirlwind, yet the mountain has not shifted. You have diligently applied all the keys you knew, but you have not seen a victorious breakthrough. ‘Why?’ you ask yourself. ‘Did I pray too little? Was my faith too small?’

I don’t believe so.

There are no clearcut answers to the question why certain situations haven’t changed, but I do know some things.

First of all, doing nothing is not an option. When we do nothing, we allow things to be present in our lives that do not belong there, and which are not God’s will. When we do nothing we will also never break through.

Secondly, when we do something, we should allow the process of ‘faith and patience.’ God never moves quickly, but He will move suddenly. Do not conclude that God is not moving when you are still on His potter’s wheel.

Thirdly, even if nothing changes or a situation continues to exist, remember that sometimes God will allow things in our lives to shape us. I often think of the story of Jacob. He walked with a limp after fighting with God Himself (you can read the whole story in Genesis 32:22-32). That limp served as a reminder that God’s grace was made powerful in his weakness. Jacob chose to live above that circumstance. He did not let the limp define him. If you have not broken through yet, you will discover that although you might not have control, you do have a choice. Choose to live above it, just like Jacob. Do not allow the circumstances to dictate how you feel and how you are going to respond. When something comes against you, choose to dig deeper into God. And never let the circumstances have the last word.

Let God’s Word be the last word.”