Are you believing for something that has been your desire for quite some time?

I have.

For the past couple of years, I had been eyeing to upgrade my phone from an iPhone 13 to an iPhone 15. I mainly use my phone as a tool for effective and efficient communication, so I didn’t see the need to aspire for anything beyond that.  This then was a desire I carried quietly, trusting the promise in His Word that says, “At the right time, I, the LORD, will make it happen.” (Isaiah 60:22)

Recently, I sensed a deep stirring within my spirit—a gentle but persistent whisper that said, “It is time.”

No, I did not immediately rush to the store to make the purchase. Instead, I brought that desire before God in prayer and worship. I wanted my heart to be ready before my hands received the blessing. I wanted to ensure that what I was pursuing was aligned with His timing and not merely driven by impulse.

A tug-of-war was taking place within me.

One part of me whispered, “Go ahead!” Yet another voice said, “Not yet. Wait a little longer until you get back from your US trip in September.”

Hmmmmm…

Each time I get into the website where I found what seemed to be the best deal and the most practical avenue to make the purchase, my heart would leap with joy and excitement. Yet, when it was time to click the “BUY” button, something seems to hold me back.  Instead of moving ahead, I opted to pause and put off my computer. 

Every time I decided to abort my purchase, a sense of peace would fill my heart, but I noticed something interesting.  That peace felt rather shallow—it was not the deep, not the abiding peace that comes from knowing God has spoken. It was comforting, yes, but it lacked the weight and conviction that usually accompany His direction.

The “peace” I was feeling was simply the relief of knowing that NO PURCHASE meant no additional expense coming out of my wallet, no adjustment to my budget and no financial commitment to think about, hahaha!

The revelation made me laugh, but it also taught me something valuable. Not every feeling of peace is necessarily God’s peace. Sometimes it is just our own comfort zone trying to keep us where we are.

Many of us may be praying to experience God’s miraculous move, but until we get out of the boat, we deprive ourselves from walking on water by faith, let alone opening a door for God to show Himself strong to us.

In the midst of this tug-of-war, I found myself earnestly seeking God and praying for Him to ENLARGE my perception of Who He is.

You see, God is already infinitely GREAT. There is nothing we can add to make Him greater than He already is.  His power is limitless, His untold resources are inexhaustible, His goodness knows no bounds and His willingness is unquestionable.  His Word reminds us that “He gives us RICHLY all things to enjoy.” (1 Timothy 6:17 KJV)

The challenge has never been God’s ability to provide. More often, the challenge lies in our capacity to believe. Many times, it is our own minds that place a lid on what God can do in our lives. We unconsciously measure His possibilities by our limitations, our experiences, our bank accounts, and our understanding. We reduce the limitless God to the size of our circumstances.  Thus, He constantly issues us His invitation to arise and to come up higher by renewing our minds according to His Word.  This is the only way for us to be transformed according to His image and likeness. 

In one of my devotional moments with Him, I asked, “What is it about with this iPhone 15 that I could not seem to let go of?”  His response so warmed my heart when He said, “Because I delight in you.” 😊

“He brought me forth into a large place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.” (2 Samuel 22:20 AMPC)

Sometimes, we can fall into the mindset that God only wants us to obey, obey, and obey His commands—as though the Christian life is merely a series of responsibilities and sacrifices. While obedience is certainly precious to Him, it is only part of the story.

What we often overlook is that God also delights in our enjoyment of Him.  He is not a Father Who simply desires compliance from His children; He is a loving Father Who takes pleasure in seeing His children prosper, flourish, thrive, and enjoy the blessings He has graciously provided.

Jesus did not come merely to give us existence. He came to give us life in its fullest sense. As He declared, “I came that you and I may HAVE and ENJOY life, and have it in abundance—to the full, till it overflows.” (John 10:10 AMPC)

Waiting time is never wasted time. 

In the Kingdom of God, waiting is often a season of preparation rather than postponement. While we may be focused on the fulfillment of a desire, the Lord is focused on enlarging us, just as I have asked, expanding our capacity to receive, steward, and enjoy what He has prepared for us.  He takes us deeper into the knowledge of His thoughts and ways until we are fully persuaded that the right time for our desire to be realized has come.

And so, after a few days, I finally made up my mind to move forward and purchase my new phone.

Surprisingly, the iPhone 15 was SOLD OUT!  For a brief moment, I could not help myself but chuckle.  Then, I noticed that the next available unit was iPhone 16! 

Guess what I did?  Without a second thought, I clicked “BUY” and I rejoiced – greatly rejoiced over it not just because I got my new phone, but because the Lord had once again expanded and enlarged my capacity to receive from His being delighted in me.

By this time, one may think that this testimony ended here…. but, there is MORE!

When my old iPhone 13 was ready to be sold and released, I prayed over it and blessed it. Then, I asked our messenger to find a buyer for me which he willingly did. 

There were many inquiries, and I had already set a specific amount that I wanted it sold for.

Among the prospective buyers was a young lad who politely asked if I could lower the price. He explained that he only had a certain amount.  He wanted to buy the phone as a birthday gift for his mother.  Ohh… my heart.

The moment I heard his story, something stirred deeply within me and without hesitation, I told our messenger, “Go ahead. Let’s give it to him at his asking price.”

When the young man learned that we had agreed, he was overjoyed and could not stop thanking us. He immediately boarded a bus and even sent us a photo of himself on the way. You could sense his excitement and determination. After a three-and-a-half-hour journey, he finally arrived at our address.

At a distance I saw him and he was very young, most likely still a student. Yet despite his age, he carried something far greater than money in his hands.  He carried a BIG HEART and that so warmly touched my heart.

After the deal was completed, our messenger returned to the office carrying a wad of folded cash with his noticeably softened facial expression.

He shared that the young buyer had apologized for bringing the payment in smaller denominations. It was all he had, carefully saved over time, little by little, just to be able to afford the phone for his mother’s birthday gift.

This time, all of us in the office were teary-eyed, deeply moved by the young man’s gesture of love for his mother. The sincerity of his sacrifice touched something in all of us. It wasn’t just a mere transaction anymore—it had become a quiet reminder of what genuine love looks like in action.

One of my officemates could no longer hold it in and broke down in tears. The room grew still for a moment, as we all sat in the weight of what we had just witnessed.

A couple of hours later, we gathered together in the office to pray and give thanks. We celebrated over pizzas, sharing both laughter and gratitude for how the day had unfolded in such an unexpected yet meaningful way.  And that, too, our messenger got his commission.

I came home that night from the office with a heart overflowing with gratitude. Everything that had happened throughout the day kept replaying in my mind, and I quietly asked the Lord, “What was that all about?”

And in the stillness of my heart, I sensed Him gently respond:

“That is what MY LARGENESS looks like.”

“You did not just receive the desire of your heart. In saying ‘YES’ to the upgraded iPhone 16 despite the price, you became a channel of My goodness in ways you did not expect.”

“You became a part of My answer to a young man’s prayer—to bless his mother with a phone on her birthday. Through that, a mother was honored and loved.”

“You blessed your officemate with pizzas, as their hearts were moved and reminded of My kindness and the beauty of My love in action.”

“And your messenger was also blessed and honored for his assistance.”

“In all of this, you saw that My blessings are never limited to one person or one outcome. When I move, I move in abundance. I touch many lives through one surrendered ‘YES.”

In that moment, I realized that what I thought was simply a personal upgrade had actually become something far greater in God’s hands. It was a small glimpse of His largeness—how He weaves our simple obedience into a ripple of blessing far beyond what we could plan or imagine.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,
declares the Lord.
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing my heart to be enlarged through this experience. Thank You for showing me that when You move in our lives, Your blessings are never meant for us alone. Our surrendered “YES” becomes a channel of Your goodness, extending beyond us, creating multiple avenues to touch and transform the lives of those around us.  You are indeed the Author and the Finisher of our faith.

Thank You, Jesus, that through Your finished work at the cross, You have already procured and provided everything we could ever need for life and godliness. In You are hidden the unsearchable riches of Your grace, wisdom, goodness, and love – the riches that can never be exhausted and blessings that can never be measured.  Thank You that You are able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can ask, dare to dream, think, imagine, or believe.

Thank You, Holy Spirit, for always being our faithful Guide and Counselor. Thank You for continually illuminating the Word of God, causing it to come alive in our hearts and revealing the depths of our Heavenly Father’s love for us.  Amen!