You do all you can and it stills feel like you have not done enough. You go to church, not every Sunday but more than you used to. You can’t go to bible study because you work but you have started to read your bible more. You give a little bit towards tithes, you’re working your way up. You’ve cut off all those folk who only call you to fill a need. You don’t lie as much as you used too. You’ve been praying, even though it leaves you a sobbing mess. You’ve even been fasting, although you’ve only gotten up to 6 hours. Yet, it still feels like all hell is breaking loose around you. You’ve stopped spending but money seems tighter than before. You’ve stopped drinking and now that’s all you crave. You replaced writing with cussing but folk are trying you and they are a 4 letter word from being blessed and not the good way. And if things couldn’t get worse, the enemy is calling your name and you’ve contemplated answering. WAIT! Please don’t. Please! It’s only your sifting process.
When Jesus told Simon (Peter), the enemy wanted to sift him like wheat; He didn’t mean the soft flour sifting grandma did when she made biscuits. But He meant the aggressive, sometimes violent shaking wheat has to go through during harvest. This is when the wheat is separated from the stalk and chaff. And it has to get rough in order to ensure there is nothing left, within the wheat that is hard and/or bad. So you see, what you’re going through is rough, right now, but it’s for your good. It is separating you from all the things you once deemed worthy but God determined was worldly. Yes, the enemy is there but only because he bet God you wouldn’t make it through. Prove him wrong by trusting God through the process. Because just like Simon, God is praying your faith does not fail. Fail means to break down or not meet its goal. And just so you know, faith does not fail even when we do. It’s just your sifting process, beloved. It hurts, gets confusing and hurts some more but it has to happen.
Lakisha, the Author 