Planted
His Strategy for the Next
I started this year off, like most people, trying to figure out my vision for 2026. I sought God on the matter because when I try to make moves on my own, I tend to rush into things that aren't assigned to me, and I didn't want to have to pray after the fact for Him to realign me. So, I prayed first. I asked him to show me my 2026 because I felt like lately it had been a season of being able to see more clearly for others than seeing for myself. Because of the faithful Father He is, He responded.
I soon began to picture an image of a tree sitting beside a body of water. It was a large tree, full of life but stillness at the same time. Its leaves were vibrantly green, with detailing that made each leaf stand out from the background of nature’s beauty. Its presence enamored the forest while also serving a purpose. It wasn't just a tree placed there to be seen, but it had forest animals that took shelter in its residence, birds that rested on its branches, and wildlife that danced and played near its roots till they tired, all full of joy and laughter in their hearts. Peace surrounded it, and the trickling of the waters, the whistling of the winds, and the scattering of all the life that engaged with it, was its melody. The river and sun sustained every part of its existence, allowing it to be able to be what it needed to be for itself and all the wildlife that encircled it. It thrived! It was a beautiful scene, and although I'm so very blessed to be able to share such a beautiful picture of peace with so many, I won't lie, it kind of left me with more questions than anything.
Does that ever happen to you? Do you ever ask God for the next step, and you can see His hand move to answer, but then the answer leaves you feeling completely lost? Do you find yourself frustrated with the plethora of whys? You ask Him to help show you what your 2026 will look like, and He shows you a tree. A tree!
I can tell you that God is not the author of confusion, nor is His intention to frustrate; He does this only to encourage us to seek Him, to depend on Him, to trust Him.
Although it took me some time, a lot of time due to me throwing a fit, I did the only thing I knew that would bring clarity. I sat and waited, impatiently, I might add, and I poured my frustrations out to him. I'm boldly honest with God about everything that I feel, always from a place of fear and awe, but never watering down exactly what's sending my mind in circles. And guess what? It didn't bother Him because He can handle our little human emotions; He simply rewarded my seeking with more revelation. Again, He responded.
He said, "I'm about to disrupt everything you thought you were going to do with this year andit'll start with permission to do the unthinkable. I am about to give you permission to be still. Be still and know that I am God."
Be still.
Why would God have to instruct us to be still? Human nature calls us to seek comfort anyway, so why would we need this instruction? I often find that sometimes it’s through more questions that I find the answer to my original inquiry, and I did.
It’s because stillness is uncomfortable. Stillness isn't a lazy day at home, no, it's something entirely different. It's not inaction. It's not comfort. Spiritual stillness is an intentional surrender to God's move and will.
Spiritual stillness is the intentional absence of movement without divine authorization, and it's so, so very hard! It is so difficult to surrender every plan, decision, and expectation to Him. But stillness is necessary for so many reasons.
Stillness is for exposure. I can say without a doubt, this is the number one reason most people avoid being still. Because when you're still, and your day isn't full of tasks to keep you busy, you're forced to face yourself, to face your sin, to face your trauma. We all have things about ourselves we'd prefer not to address. Sometimes it looks like an insecurity rooted in childhood. Sometimes it's a sin that we know if we sit down long enough, we will have to acknowledge it and address it with God. Sometimes it's a trauma you've been avoiding thinking about because if you ignore it long enough, you hope it'll dissipate into nothing. It's in stillness that we have to address these things we'd rather leave covered. Can I help you? Our humanity is not too much for God. He never shames or guilts us; that's straight from the enemy. We are not too much for him. That's what I love about David. He was raw with God. From anger, to fear, to his every sin he committed, he took it to the only one who could work it out of him. Let the stillness expose the dark parts to God; His light is great enough to remove them, His love is pure enough to cleanse them, and His son was more than enough to forgive them.
Stillness is for clarity. There are somethings that only come from divine revelation. I find that most of the time, if I'm stuck on a business-related project or anything really, it's not until I let go and let God that he starts to provide me the blueprint I need for that season. It's important to remember that every door and opportunity is not from God, and if you aren't seeking clarity, you are willingly allowing yourself to traffic in confusion and opening yourself up to unnecessary warfare. It's not worth it. Sit still, let him show you the missing parts of your map, so you can make the connections necessary to enter into your next level of His glory for your life.
Lastly, stillness is required for divine timeliness. I'm not doing ANYTHING if my Father is not with me! Its just not worth it! Moses, Joshua, and many leaders in the bible knew the vitality of waiting on that confirmation from the Lord that He'd go with them. I was just speaking to someone about how I am learning to wait on the confirmation of victory before entering any battle. It’s a war tactic. All you need is Him. That's it. And when He says Go, there is no one that can stop what He has spoken. But are you being still enough to hear when He says go?
So what did the tree mean? I still do not know for sure. That's the beauty of it. I’m certain God will reveal more to me as He sees I’m ready. However, what I do know is He's given me divine strategy, and it doesn't look like what the world glamorizes. My ability to thrive, bloom, and flourish will come from Him alone. It will come from being still and knowing that He is God, and whatever it is, will be more for those He places around me than for myself. It will flow through me so that in everything I do, HIS glory will be seen.