I grew up with a mother who loved to sew. She would sew gorgeous Easter dresses for my sister and me, and, of course, we would always match! Our favorite part of the process was going to the fabric store to pick out the pattern. The pattern was a big sheet of transparent paper called “dot paper” that she would lay over the fabric. The pattern ensured that she derived the right outcome from her effort every single time.

As you relax in the knowledge that the SHIFT is up to God and through your words and faith, you’ll see your process create purpose in your life. Let’s examine God’s pattern.

God works in patterns, and a pattern is a repeated design. Just like the pattern at the fabric store showcased a preview of the dress I would eventually wear, God's pattern in your life showcases a preview of the purpose He is eventually bringing you into. As you understand how God overlays His pattern over your life, you’ll begin to see the purpose in your process. You’ll understand how He’s using this pattern to ensure the right outcome is from the process you’ve been going through.

Matthew 26:26 provides us with insight into God’s pattern:

“As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”

Jesus’s actions show us God’s pattern. He took the bread, and then He blessed the bread. He then broke the bread, and, lastly, He used the bread. Took, blessed, broken, used.

How do we know this is God’s pattern? We can see it repeated throughout the Bible in many places in scripture. One of the most prominent places was in the Miracle of the Feeding of the 5,000, when Jesus fed 5,000 people with five fish and two loaves of bread.

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.” Matthew 14:19

This pattern is not a coincidence. It’s an intentional placement in scripture by God to give us insight into how He works. We can even see it in the life of Jesus. God the Father took Jesus from His place in heaven and placed Him as a baby in Mary’s womb. He blessed Jesus with gifts and purpose. He then allowed Jesus to be broken on the cross, and, through His death, God used Jesus to give us eternal life.

No matter what your process looks like, know this. God is with you, accompanying you as you take every step. This can reassure us through the last revelation in Matthew 26:26. After all, the bread was in Jesus’s hands while it went through the process. There is no better place to be today than in His hands.

Today’s Affirmation:

You are reassured today, standing firmly in God’s pattern. You embrace peace, and you relax in His hands. Everything you need in unexpected ways and from unseen places is provided. God has His arms wrapped around you, and you are sure. You are enriched. You are nourished. You are replenished. You are refreshed! You are purposed in His pattern.

Question of the Day:

Where do you see evidence of God’s pattern in your life?