Have you ever heard the Lord’s voice and obediently followed only to find yourself in a place that looked much worse than when you started? Maybe you have diligently served Jesus and faithfully sown seed into His Kingdom but are now facing great loss. If this is you today, I have an encouragement: God’s decrease is not His demotion. When your bank account shrinks or you lose friends and relationships you thought were for life, it is not a sign that God is mad at you, that you are being punished, or that He has forgotten you. In fact, the very opposite is true. Sometimes the greatest growth is preceded by the most severe loss. Decrease will test our faith in a way that forces us to trust Jesus completely, whether we have lots or little. In short, it is a type of refining that strengthens us on the inside and prepares us for the abundance that is to come!

My friend, don’t lose heart if the profusion you once knew has escaped you. Instead, reframe your perspective and remember that God is lightening your load and positioning you to fully embrace the next good season He has prepared. Your life is like a great tree that must be pruned and cut back in order to experience its fullest and most abundant growth. Don’t shy away from this process, but embrace it by drawing closer to Jesus and allowing Him to speak peace to your heart, even in the midst of pain. Like Job, who lost everything he had and was encouraged by his wife to curse God and die, refuse to harden your heart towards your Heavenly Father. Instead, keep pressing into Him and trust that following every divine decrease, there is “more than before.”