"Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass" (Psalm 37: 4-5 NKJV).
While exploring with my grandson one day, we discovered a beautiful butterfly making its rounds through a patch of wildflowers. As I tried explaining to him how the butterfly came to be, I was reminded of the butterfly's transformation. Immediately I thought of the pain I often experience through life’s challenges. I recognized the butterfly, and I had lots in common. We had come from a dark place to be—transformed.
The butterfly goes through several stages before becoming its final version. It seems like this insect symbolically goes through the same process we do by experiencing trials and tribulations.
The first stage of development of the butterfly is the larva stage, commonly known as caterpillars; no matter how long it takes, the caterpillar will continue to eat in preparation for the transition to the next step in its life cycle. No matter how long it takes for us to go through our lows, we should continue to stand on the word of God, adhering to the following scripture: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God (Philippians 4: 6 NKJV).
The second stage is the pupa. During this stage, the caterpillar will break down entirely on a cellular level and then reorganize into a new form. Comparatively, God must allow us to go through our breakdowns to build our trust in him. As the word says, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28 NKJV). We must therefore trust and believe that in everything we go through, God is working it out for our good.
The final stage is when the butterfly leaves behind their cocoon and takes to the air with its new wings. When this happens, we never see the butterfly crying about changing. Neither does it return to the darkness of the cocoon because those stages served their purpose. Likewise, when God brings us through times of night, we must surrender our past, desires, and worries to Him and then take flight.
Through it all, God hears our prayers and knows the desires of our hearts. He also knows what’s best for us, including the timing for transformation. Nothing is better than trusting and believing in God’s promises despite feeling like we’re in the dark and broken down—because we’re constantly being made new.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank you for your presence in my life. I thank you for keeping me through my darkest hours. Thank you for letting me see that you have given me peace to go through the valley of the shadow of death. I ask that you continue transforming me into the person you have called me to be. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen!
Your turn: How do you get through tough times? When you’re tempted to find happiness in the wrong place, what turns you around to find peace in God? Do you feel like you’re going through a dark time? If so, how can I pray for you?