God answered the Israelites’ prayer for a quick fix, for an early deliverance from God’s maturity process, but it cost them dearly. When they complained about the difficulty of their trial and longed for the good old days of slavery under Pharaoh when they had meat to eat, God gave them quail— and He also sent leanness to their souls. (See Psalm 106:13–15.) He was saying, “You got out too quickly. This was all part of your training. I know when it’s time to bring you out of this, and I know what I’m doing. Since you feel you know better, you can reap what you have sown.”

I tell the people at my church: “If you’re going through something difficult, if you feel that you are going through hell, I have one piece of advice for you: Don’t stop. Ask God, ‘What is it You are trying to teach me? What is it You want to show me through this?’”

The church is not here to bail everybody out of their problems. This may sound radical and even heretical to you, but I have to tell you that everywhere I see great victory, faith and accomplishments in God’s Word, I also see great perseverance in the face of great suffering. It is my conviction that when we preach against the process of maturity in the Christian life, we preach against the order of God.

God is trying to help us grow up by marching us into such levels of maturity that we will be able to accomplish His purposes on this earth. It can only be done with the “Godkind-of-faith.”

—Eddie Long

Lord, I want to grow up. I choose today to embrace Your dealings rather than run from them.

Eddie Long, Taking Over (1999), 101–102.