Quote of the day, 18 April: Madame Acarie

Blessed Mary of the Incarnation—Madame Acarie—acted only in accord with God’s will. Her spiritual director, Father André Duval, testifies to her remarkable discernment.

While still living in the world, she undertook very great things; yet she never set herself to resolve upon them or carry them out until she had clearly recognized that God so willed it.

If she perceived that the divine movement did not correspond to her own inclination, or if, after mature reflection, she remained in doubt, she would abandon her own judgment or suspend its execution until God had fully enlightened her.

This was seen not only in the foundation of the Orders of the Carmelites and the Ursulines, but also in many other particular works, which she never undertook unless she saw or felt within herself that such was the will of God.

Even when speaking about some matter, one could often see her stop short, and at times even retrace her steps, recognizing that the thought and will of God were not shining within her soul, but rather urging the contrary, or leaving her in a state of uncertainty. (…)

A very great and singular virtue did not permit her to say or do anything contrary to the judgment or the movement of Him who was the sole object of her love and her interior Master.

Father André Duval

Carmelite Online Advent Retreat, Week 4 (2020)

Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.

Featured image: The Madonna and Child appearing to Blessed Marie of the Incarnation is an oil on canvas painting attributed to Pierre Delestres, ca. 1750. It is part of the collection of artworks at the Discalced Carmelite monastery of Pontoise that depicts Madame Acarie. Image credit: Discalced Carmelites

Delayed, Not Denied

 Walking in God’s Unstoppable Purpose
A Day in the Life

“But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy out the land.” — Numbers 14:38

There are moments in the life of faith when I feel as though the actions of others have altered my path in ways I did not choose. Doors close unexpectedly. Opportunities slip through my hands. Decisions made by others seem to redirect what I believed was God’s clear will. As I sit with the story of Joshua and Caleb, I am reminded that obedience does not always lead to immediate fulfillment—it often leads to endurance. These two men trusted God fully, yet they wandered for forty years because of the disbelief of others. Still, their story does not end in frustration but in fulfillment. They were delayed, but they were never denied.

I find myself reflecting on how this truth is mirrored in the life of Jesus. There were countless moments when others attempted to hinder His mission. In Luke 4:28–30, after Jesus spoke truth in Nazareth, the people were filled with rage and sought to throw Him off a cliff. Yet the Scripture says, “But passing through the midst of them, He went His way.” The Greek phrasing suggests a quiet authority—no resistance, no panic—just divine purpose moving forward. No one could stop what God had ordained. Later, in John 7:30, we read, “They sought to take Him: but no man laid hands on Him, because His hour was not yet come.” There is a divine timetable at work that human interference cannot disrupt.

When I consider Joshua and Caleb alongside Jesus, I begin to understand that God’s will is not fragile. It does not depend on perfect circumstances or cooperative people. The Hebrew understanding of God’s purpose carries the idea of something established and accomplished—what Isaiah 46:11 declares: “I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” The word ʿāśāh (to do, to accomplish) emphasizes that God completes what He initiates. This truth reshapes how I interpret delays. What feels like obstruction may actually be positioning. Joshua and Caleb needed the wilderness, not as punishment, but as preparation and influence. Their leadership was forged in a place they would not have chosen.

There have been seasons in my own walk where I questioned whether someone else’s decision had derailed what God intended for me. Perhaps you have felt that same tension—passed over for something you were qualified for, overlooked in a moment you believed was yours, or redirected by forces outside your control. Yet the life of Christ gently corrects that assumption. Even the cross, which appeared to be the ultimate interruption, was in fact the fulfillment of divine purpose. In Acts 2:23, Peter declares, “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken.” What seemed like human victory was actually God’s plan unfolding exactly as intended.

The commentator A. W. Tozer once wrote, “God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible—what a pity that we plan only the things we can do by ourselves.” That observation speaks directly into this moment. When I limit God’s work in my life to what others allow or prevent, I reduce His sovereignty to human permission. Likewise, Oswald Chambers reminds us, “All God’s revelations are sealed until they are opened to us by obedience.” Joshua and Caleb did not understand the delay, but they remained obedient within it—and that obedience positioned them for eventual fulfillment.

What I am learning—sometimes slowly—is that no person, no institution, and no circumstance can ultimately prevent God’s will from being accomplished in my life. They may shape the journey, but they cannot cancel the destination. Even when I am in a wilderness I did not choose, God is still at work. He is forming character, strengthening faith, and preparing influence that I cannot yet see. The delay itself becomes part of the calling.

So I walk forward today with a renewed perspective. I release the belief that someone else holds the power to determine my spiritual outcome. I trust instead in a God whose purposes are not threatened by human limitation. If He has spoken something over my life, it will come to pass in His time and in His way. My role is not to control the path but to remain faithful within it.

For further study, this article offers helpful insight into God’s sovereign will: https://www.gotquestions.org/God-will.html

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The Hidden Path Beneath Your Feet

On Second Thought

“We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” — Ephesians 2:10

There is something deeply reassuring about knowing that God is not improvising with our lives. The word Paul uses in Ephesians 2:10 for “workmanship” is poiēma, from which we derive the word “poem.” It suggests intentional design, artistry, and purpose. You are not a random collection of experiences or a reaction to circumstances—you are something God is actively shaping. And more than that, the path before you has already been prepared. The phrase “prepared beforehand” comes from the Greek proetoimazō, meaning to make ready in advance. Before you ever stepped into this day, God had already woven opportunities for obedience, service, and growth into its fabric.

Yet most of us walk through our days unaware of this divine preparation. We tend to think of God’s will as something distant or dramatic—something reserved for major decisions or life-altering moments. But Scripture consistently brings us back to the ordinary. Psalm 61 reflects a heart that cries out from the “end of the earth,” yet finds refuge in God’s presence. “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2). That prayer is not about escape from life, but alignment within it. It is a recognition that even in the routine, God is present and active.

What I am beginning to understand is that sanctification—the process of being conformed to Christ—is not primarily about dramatic breakthroughs. It is about daily attentiveness. The Holy Spirit is always at work, shaping, refining, and redirecting. The question is not whether God is moving, but whether I am paying attention. James 1:5 reminds us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God… and it will be given him.” That promise invites us into a relationship of ongoing dialogue. God is not hiding His will; He is waiting for us to seek it.

Often, that seeking requires a willingness to face what we would rather ignore. There are habits, attitudes, and patterns in our lives that remain hidden until God brings them into the light. Sometimes He uses others to do this—words that sting, observations that feel uncomfortable. At other times, it is the quiet conviction of the Holy Spirit, a gentle but persistent awareness that something needs to change. The Greek word for conviction, elenchō, carries the idea of exposing or bringing to light. It is not condemnation, but revelation—an invitation to grow.

This is where a lifestyle of meditation becomes essential. Psalm 1 describes the person who meditates on God’s Word as “like a tree planted by streams of water.” That image is not accidental. Meditation roots us. It stabilizes us. It allows us to discern what God is doing beneath the surface of our lives. When I take time to reflect on Scripture, to sit with it, to let it speak into my circumstances, I begin to see patterns I would otherwise miss. I begin to recognize the opportunities God has already placed before me.

And those opportunities are often simpler than we expect. A conversation that requires patience. A moment that calls for kindness. A decision that demands integrity. These are not interruptions to our spiritual life—they are the very substance of it. As one writer has noted, “The will of God is not something you add to your life; it is what your life becomes when you walk with Him.” That perspective shifts everything. It means that ministry is not confined to specific settings or roles; it unfolds in the everyday.

Jesus modeled this beautifully. His life was marked by intentional withdrawal for prayer, as we see in Mark 1:35, but it was also filled with constant engagement. He noticed people others overlooked. He responded to needs others ignored. His awareness of the Father’s will was not limited to isolated moments—it permeated His entire day. That is the kind of life we are invited into. Not one of constant striving, but one of continual alignment.

What encourages me most is that God not only prepares the works for us—He equips us to walk in them. We are not left to figure this out on our own. The same Spirit who convicts also empowers. The same God who reveals also provides. And His resources are not limited. As Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:19, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” When we ask for wisdom, for clarity, for strength, He responds.

So today, I find myself asking a simple prayer: “Lord, open my eyes.” Not to something far off, but to what is already here. To the opportunities embedded in this day. To the ways I can reflect His character in small but meaningful acts. Because it is in these moments that our faith becomes visible—not just in what we believe, but in how we live.

On Second Thought

There is a paradox in all of this that is easy to overlook. We often assume that discovering God’s will requires searching for something new—something hidden, something beyond our current reach. But what if the greater challenge is not discovering more, but noticing what has already been given? What if the life God has prepared for you is not waiting somewhere else, but unfolding right where you are?

This challenges the way we think about spiritual growth. We tend to equate significance with scale—believing that larger opportunities carry greater meaning. But Scripture repeatedly redirects our attention to the small, the ordinary, the daily. The paradox is this: the more we focus on extraordinary moments, the more we miss the ordinary ones where God is actually at work. And it is in those ordinary moments that transformation takes root.

Consider how often Jesus worked through what others overlooked—a conversation at a well, a meal with sinners, a touch of compassion in a crowded place. None of these appeared significant at the time, yet they were saturated with divine purpose. The same is true for us. The opportunities God prepares are not always dramatic, but they are always meaningful.

This means that awareness becomes a spiritual discipline. To live attentively is to live faithfully. To pause, to listen, to reflect—these are not passive acts; they are active participation in what God is doing. And perhaps the most unexpected truth is this: when we begin to see our everyday lives as the arena of God’s work, we realize that we have never been without purpose. We have simply been unaware of it.

So maybe the question is not, “What does God want me to do next?” but, “Where is God already inviting me to respond today?” That shift does not simplify the Christian life—it deepens it. It calls us to a level of attentiveness that requires intention, humility, and trust. But it also opens our eyes to a reality that has been there all along: God is at work, and He is inviting us to walk with Him, one ordinary moment at a time.

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When God’s Instructions Seem Overly Specific

DID YOU KNOW

God’s will often feels confusing not because it is unclear, but because it is more detailed, relational, and purposeful than we expect. Scripture does not shy away from this tension. From the precise architectural commands of the tabernacle in Exodus, to the unexpected healing at the Pool of Bethesda in John, to the poetic mystery of love and longing in the Song of Solomon, we are reminded that God’s ways resist simplification. They invite trust before understanding. When we approach God’s will impatiently or from a distance, confusion grows. When we approach it prayerfully and relationally, clarity begins to emerge—not always about why, but about who God is and how He works among His people.

Did you know that God’s detailed instructions are often acts of protection, not control?

Exodus 26–27 can feel overwhelming to modern readers. Measurements, materials, loops, clasps, colors, and dimensions are spelled out with exacting care. At first glance, it may seem excessive or rigid, but within Israel’s wilderness context, these instructions were deeply pastoral. The tabernacle was not merely a structure; it was a visible sign that the holy God chose to dwell among His redeemed people. The Hebrew concept of holiness, qadosh, carries the idea of being set apart with intention. God’s specificity guarded Israel from reshaping worship according to convenience, preference, or surrounding cultures. The golden calf incident in Exodus 32 stands as a cautionary contrast—when God’s instructions are ignored or adjusted, confusion and idolatry quickly follow.

This is not about God being inflexible, but about God being faithful. He knows what draws hearts away long before we recognize it ourselves. Like a skilled physician prescribing a precise treatment, God’s commands reflect His intimate knowledge of human weakness and spiritual drift. We often ask God “why” even when we already sense the answer. The discomfort we feel toward His specificity usually reveals our desire for autonomy rather than understanding. God’s will is confusing only when we try to interpret it apart from relationship. Within relationship, His commands become anchors rather than obstacles.

Did you know that knowing God’s will requires closeness, not curiosity?

Trying to understand God’s will without cultivating closeness to God often leads to frustration. Scripture consistently presents discernment as relational, not mechanical. In John 5:1–15, Jesus heals a man who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years. The healing itself is astonishing, but what follows is telling. Jesus later finds the man and speaks a sobering word: “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” The healing was not an end in itself; it was an invitation into a transformed life. God’s will in this moment was not merely physical restoration but spiritual alignment.

Many people want God’s direction without God’s presence. They want answers without obedience, clarity without surrender. Yet Scripture reveals that God often gives instruction before explanation. Discernment grows through faithfulness over time. The psalmist affirms this pattern when he writes, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). A lamp does not illuminate the entire journey at once; it gives just enough light for the next step. God’s will unfolds most clearly for those who walk closely with Him, trusting that obedience today prepares them for understanding tomorrow.

Did you know that God’s will is not always efficient, but it is always purposeful?

From a human perspective, much of God’s activity appears inefficient. Why require years of tabernacle construction in the wilderness? Why heal one man among many at Bethesda? Why describe love and longing in poetic images rather than doctrinal statements in the Song of Solomon? Yet Scripture reveals that God values formation as much as outcome. The tabernacle shaped Israel’s identity as a worshiping people. The healing in John 5 exposed misplaced trust in rituals rather than in Christ Himself. The Song of Solomon reminds us that covenant love involves patience, pursuit, and timing.

God’s will is not designed to optimize productivity; it is designed to cultivate faithfulness. We often evaluate decisions by speed, clarity, or visible success, while God measures them by obedience, trust, and transformation. The Hebrew word often associated with walking faithfully, halak, implies a steady, ongoing movement rather than sudden arrival. God’s will frequently unfolds through process, not shortcuts. When we grow impatient, confusion follows. When we remain attentive, God’s purposes become clearer even if the path remains challenging.

Did you know that confusion about God’s will often reveals where trust is still forming?

Confusion is not always a sign of disobedience; sometimes it is a sign of growth. When we encounter moments where God’s instructions feel unclear or uncomfortable, we are often standing at the edge of deeper trust. Israel struggled repeatedly in the wilderness not because God was silent, but because trust had not yet matured. They had been delivered from Egypt, but Egypt had not yet been fully delivered from them. God’s detailed commands were part of that slow reshaping of the heart.

In our own lives, confusion often arises when God’s will confronts our assumptions, preferences, or fears. We may know what God has already instructed, yet still ask “why” as a way of postponing obedience. Scripture gently reminds us that God knows what we need before we ask. He is not withholding guidance; He is inviting trust. As Jesus taught elsewhere, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them, he it is who loves me” (John 14:21). Love expresses itself not in perfect understanding, but in faithful response.

As we reflect on these passages together, we are invited to reconsider how we approach God’s will. Rather than treating it as a puzzle to solve, Scripture encourages us to receive it as a relationship to cultivate. God’s instructions, whether detailed or mysterious, are always given in love and for our good. When confusion arises, it may be less about God’s silence and more about our readiness to listen.

The invitation for each of us is simple yet searching: to return to the place of prayer, humility, and attentiveness. God’s will is rarely revealed all at once, but it is always given faithfully to those who seek Him with their whole heart. Take time today to ask not only what God is asking of you, but how He is inviting you to trust Him more deeply in the process.

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