Between the ‘B’ and the ‘Y’ – God’s Process
August 9, 2025 | 8:21 am
Our faith is a journey and a process. It is like a seedling of a tree planted that after many days becomes a huge beautiful tree. Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7 compares our journey to a fight to be fought and a race to be won. Often we love the idea of arriving at the promised destination, but the process—the time spent “between the B and the Y”—is where the real work happens.
When Christ is referred to as the author and finisher of our faith in Hebrews 12:2 (MSG), it reminds us that He is both the beginning and the end of our journey. He sees the race we’re running from start to finish, and He has already mapped out every step we need to take. Like gold in a refiner’s fire, we become purer as we stay on. Like old wine, we become better over time. This requires patience, perseverance, and refinement.
Much like Joseph, who transitioned from a dreamer to the prime minister of Egypt in 13 years, or David, who was anointed king but waited 17 years before taking the throne, we too are called to walk through this “B” to “Y” period. In the journey between the promise and the fulfillment, there lies a process—God’s sanctification, preparation, and growth in our lives. And while we might focus on the destination, it’s crucial to remember that this process is what shapes the person we become.
Between the dream and the reality, between the grass and the glory, between the prophesy and its accomplishment, between the prayer and the answer, we must cultivate the rhythms, disciplines, and boundaries that will sustain us.
Just as a tree grows from roots to fruits, we must lay down deep spiritual roots if we are to bear good fruit in God’s timing. I recently attended a ladies’ seminar where the speaker passionately shared rhythms or roots that would help keep us on track with the Lord. Using the acronym ROOTS, let’s explore five essential practices for navigating God’s process:
R – Rhythms: The Pulse of Our Faith
Daily Practices:
- Prayer and Meditation: Making time for quiet reflection and communion with the Lord. It’s in the stillness that we often hear His voice the clearest. Through this practice, we are able to wade through voices and distractions that interfere with our connection with the Lord and therefore pick out the ‘still, small voice of our loving savior.’
- Scripture Reading: God’s Word is our guide. Just as we need food to nourish us, the word of God is milk and meat that nourishes our spirit, strengthens our faith, and offers wisdom for daily life.
- Gratitude: Developing a practice of thankfulness, even in the smallest moments, shifts our focus from lack to abundance. It enables us to be content and keep off the spirit of complaining and grumbling which God loathes.
- Giving: Giving creates an outlet for what God has laid within us. Every time we withhold, we deny ourselves the privilege of receiving. A growing and maturing Christian, is a giving Christian. Giving money, time and energy into God’s work and His people enables us give God preminence above all other things.
Weekly Practices:
- Sabbath or Rest: We work from rest. Are you getting enough rest? Do you deliberately take time to debrief and refuel before beginning a new week? Taking time each week to unplug and refuel helps us stay spiritually, mentally, and physically balanced.
- Community Engagement: Connecting with others in fellowship and communion helps us grow. Whether in a small group or through acts of service, or attending a church service enables us to build relationships. Jesus showed us how to ‘wash others’ feet'(John 13:1-17). Serving others is a key rhythm for spiritual maturity.
O – Order: Intentionality in Relationship with God
Ronnie Floyd said, “Our spiritual development impacts every other area of our lives—and we cannot delegate that growth to anyone else.” Spiritual growth isn’t accidental; it requires order and intentionality. Just as a tree needs to have well watered and holding roots in order to grow, we must structure our lives with purpose and boundaries.
Boundaries bring clarity. God gave Israel the commandments to help them know where freedom lies. Boundaries, like the walls of a house, define the space in which we can thrive. In our spiritual lives, boundaries help us strengthen our “yes” to God and our “no” to sin.
O – Obedience: The Heart of Faith
Obedience is not about rules but about a deep listening to God’s voice and following His lead. It’s easy to get distracted, but when we listen, we grow. Just look at David’s life. He was anointed king but had to wait years, and during that time, he was faithful in the small things.
Obedience is what kept David from taking matters into his own hands, even when the opportunity to kill Saul presented itself (1 Samuel 24:6 & 26:10-11). It was his obedience, choosing to honor God even in difficult circumstances, that preserved him and eventually brought him to the throne.
T – Tenderheartedness: A Worshipful Heart
Psalm 15:1-2 “Who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?” One who has a blameless walk and speaks truth from their heart.
Tenderheartedness is key to living out our faith authentically. It means having a heart that is soft toward others, willing to forgive, and quick to show kindness. David, a man after God’s own heart, exemplified this. He expressed his full range of emotions in his psalms, yet maintained an unwavering faith.
Worship enables us to keep a tender heart toward God. In my book, “Undignified Praise, I note that worship enables us to break our jars of perfume before Jesus and the fragrance of our praise fills the whole earth and touches the heart of God. A worshipful heart responds with compassion, patience, love and kindness to a world that is often callous and self-serving. Tenderness is what allows us to see the needs of others and respond with grace.
S – Surrender: Trusting God with Our Lives
In a world that tells us to take control and fight for our own way, surrender may seem unreasonable. Yet, this is the heart of true discipleship. Surrender is not about defeat or submission to oppression—it’s about releasing control to God, trusting Him fully with the details of our lives.
1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
Surrender means releasing our worries, fears, and desires, trusting that God will guide us and provide for us. When we live surrendered to Him, we find freedom—not in control, but in trust. Our strength lies in our surrender.
Colossians 2:7 says, “Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”
Just as roots anchor a tree, our spiritual practices ground us in faith. As we grow deeper in Him, we become more resilient to the storms and challenges of life. We must also recognize the dangers that come when we neglect these disciplines.
Proverbs 14:12 “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.”
Without rootedness in God’s Word, our desires can lead us astray. But when we maintain these rhythms of prayer, obedience, and surrender, we walk the path that leads to life and victory in Christ. We are called to finish the race, not just start it. Will we be among the finishers? The keepers? The winners?
Between the B and the Y of God’s call, there is a process—a journey that requires rhythm, order, obedience, tenderness, and surrender. Through the daily and weekly practices of rooted faith, we grow into the person God has designed us to be. This is the way to spiritual maturity, the way to bear good fruit, and the way to fulfill our purpose.
So let’s commit today to dig our roots deep into Christ. Let’s cultivate the rhythms of life that will sustain us through the process, knowing that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6).
The journey from B to Y may not always be easy, but it is always worth it.