We Aren't Microwaved Masterpieces

Why this title?

Well, because He took His time with you. You weren’t created to get to where you need to be in the span of five minutes (like a microwave meal), but rather your Creator wants to put you in the oven.

In other words, He wants to take His time.

We often think that we have to be further along in life than we currently are. But what if where The Most High has you now is exactly where He needs you to be? This faith walk is a journey, and I can admit that I often have the mindset of “I need to be there already”—forgetting that I’m supposed to enjoy the journey.

In other words, don’t be in a hurry.

Now, of course, that doesn’t mean to “stay stagnant” or forget that you have a destination. But it does mean to take your time on this journey that Christ has you on—and smell the roses along the way. He may have given you certain ideas or tasks to complete, but we can get in such a hurry to move on to the next thing that we miss out on the jewels He wants us to notice in the moment. It’s similar to reading the Word. If you rush through a certain passage of Scripture, you might not receive everything He wanted to show you in that moment. You might get the overall picture, but even in a Picasso painting, if you look closer, there are details and colors that make up that overall picture.

Ahhh… a painting.

Ephesians 2:10 (KJV) says,

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

You are His workmanship. His masterpiece. His work of art.

Have you ever watched an artist paint or sketch? They take their time and pay attention to every detail. Once they begin a work that they see is good, why would they stop?

In other words—why would Christ stop?

Philippians 1:6 ( KJV) says,

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ“.

He drew you to Himself when you first decided to give your life to Him. He was working in you—that was all Him. Philippians 2:13 says, (KJV)

“13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”

He has brought you this far, and just because things may not look the way you thought they would doesn’t mean He’s abandoned His work. It simply means His plan is different from yours—which is actually a great thing! It’s exciting, because we don’t always know what’s next, but we know the One who does.

So yes—He is taking His time.

We are so precious that He wants to take His time with us. However, when we don’t see the things spoken over our lives happening in the time we thought they would, we often lose what? Faith.

That very thing that pleases Him.

Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) says,

“6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

When faith weakens, it limits what God can do in us. Matthew 13:58 (KJV) says,

“ And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”

The Oven Process

You are not a microwaved masterpiece; you are an oven-baked one.

You were placed on the cutting board, cut up, seasoned, and even marinated a little before going into the oven—because the Chef wanted you to have everything you would need for those who will one day receive from you when the timer dings.

We, as those “dishes,” must be willing to be cut up, seasoned, and placed in the oven. The timing and the process of preparation won’t always feel good, but I encourage us to acknowledge this truth: the Chef knows what He’s doing.

When the Promise Seems Delayed

Was a specific prophetic word spoken over your life, and you don’t yet see those seeds coming to fruition?Were you told that you’d be at a certain place by now, but it still seems impossible?

There’s one Scripture that ties this all together:

Isaiah 60:22 (KJV) says,

“A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time.“.

Did you catch that first part? “A little one shall become a thousand.”

That small thing that someone else sees as “nothing” will expand. It will increase and flourish. So where you are right now may not seem like much, and those seeds may not look like they’ve sprouted yet—but that doesn’t mean nothing is happening beneath the soil.

We just have to stay faithful and enjoy the process before the finished product, because even in the process, He is good. It’s not only when the promise springs forth that we rejoice, but even during the growing season.

The Story of Joshua

A story that perfectly ties all of this together is found in the life of Joshua.

Joshua had the responsibility of completing the mission after Moses had passed. But before he could lead Israel, he first had to watch Moses and learn from him. That was his preparation season.

During that time, Joshua also learned to be intimate with The Most High. In other words, he enjoyed the process.

How do we know this?

In Exodus 33:11(KJV) it says,

“And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.”

Joshua stayed behind to dwell in God’s presence even after his spiritual leader had left. Sounds to me like he enjoyed what he witnessed so much that he wanted to stay a little longer.

He went from aiding Moses to leading Israel—that’s a big mission. But I don’t mention that to emphasize position; rather, to highlight heart posture before The Most High.

God already told us that:

Proverbs 18:16 (KJV)says

“A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.”

But what good is the gift if He isn’t with you?

Joshua understood that because Moses even told The Most High in Exodus 33

"If Your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here" In other words. "I don't want the promised land if You aren't going to be with me"

So, don’t be in a hurry to get to that position and miss Him in the process. Let Him take His time with you. Allow Him to keep you in the oven for however long He needs to.

-The Servant Hearted