When my father went to be with the Lord back in 1999, I felt like I was being pulled back. I could feel the pressure, the tension. Not only did I lose my father, I lost a great friend. I didn't know what was going to happen to the church. But in the middle of that difficulty when it seemed like my best days were behind me, at just the right time, God released me like a bow, and shot me forward to a new level of my destiny. I got here more quickly than I should have. I didn't have the formal training, the experience or the qualifications. I couldn't have made it happen on my own; it was the hand of God.
I've learned when God is ready to shoot you forward, He doesn't ask for your permission. He doesn't check with the critics; He doesn't get approval from your friends, family members or co-workers. He doesn't look at your bank account, your degrees, your confidence or your connections. When it's your time, God simply propels you into your destiny. No person can stop you, no bad break, no organization. God has the final say! He breathed His life into you. He's planned out your days. He's already lined up these times of acceleration.
You may feel like you're being pulled back right now. You may feel the tension—it doesn't seem like you can get ahead. Know this: you're being pulled back for one reason, and that's so God can shoot you further! Get ready because this is a year when God is going to launch you forward!
"Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us." (Ephesians 3:20, CEB)