We love to talk about the promises of God.

We sing about them. We declare them. We quote Jeremiah 29:11 and shout “Amen” when someone says, “God has a plan for your life.” But what do we do in the in-between? What happens when we’ve received a promise, but we’re stuck in the long, confusing space between “God said” and “it came to pass”?

If you’ve ever felt like your life is full of prophetic words but void of fulfillment, you’re not alone. You’re not faithless. And you’re not forgotten. You’re in God’s process.

Because the truth is, God is not just a promise giver—He’s a process God.

God Creates—But He Also Forms

Romans 1:20 tells us that the invisible attributes of God can be clearly seen through what has been created. That means if you want to understand how God works, you have to study His creation. That’s how Paul starts unpacking the mystery: the invisible is revealed through the visible.

Take Genesis, for instance. In chapter 1, God creates the heavens and the earth. But in chapter 2, something shifts: God begins to form. He forms man from the dust. He plants a garden. He shapes, establishes, and prepares things for fruitfulness.

In Isaiah 45:18, God says: 'I did not create the earth in vain—I formed it to be inhabited.'

He didn’t create it to be empty. He formed it to carry purpose. And that’s the same with you. God didn’t just create you—He’s forming you. He’s shaping your character, stretching your faith, maturing your gifts, and establishing your steps. The new creation happened in a moment—but formation?

That takes time.

The Process Is Not Punishment—It’s Preparation

One of the most dangerous lies you can believe is that God is punishing you when He’s really preparing you.

God creates you in grace—but He forms you through fire. The potter doesn’t stop at creating the clay; he keeps pressing, spinning, reshaping. That process isn’t evidence of rejection—it’s proof of investment. God takes time with what He values.

Isaiah 43:1 makes this clear: 'Thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel…' Same person. Two names. Two identities. One is raw potential (Jacob), the other is royal destiny (Israel). God created Jacob—but He formed Israel.

Why the Process Hurts

Sometimes we don’t resist God’s promises—we resist His timing. We want the fruit of the Spirit, but not the pruning. We want destiny, but we dread delay.

The reason we struggle is because we often judge our lives by events rather than by process. We look at single moments—crisis, loss, failure—and we panic: This must not be God!

But Romans 8:28 says: 'All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.'

That word “work together” in the Greek literally means to cooperate. It’s as if all the pieces of your life have a staff meeting in heaven and say, “Alright, how are we going to help fulfill God’s purpose in this person’s life?” Even the pain. Even the delays. Even the betrayal.

Don’t Let an Event Define Your Purpose

Abraham is a perfect example. God promised him a son. But years passed—nothing happened. So Abraham did something. He and Sarah took matters into their own hands, and Ishmael was born. But that wasn’t God’s promise—it was man’s shortcut.

And for 13 years after that, God went silent.

It wasn’t until Abraham was 99 that God showed up and said: “I am El Shaddai—the God who is more than enough.”

In other words: You tried to fix what only I can fulfill. You’re not disqualified, but you’ve delayed what I wanted to do.

So here’s the principle: when you’re tempted to rush the process, remember that God hasn’t forgotten the promise.

God Doesn’t Create in Vain

In Isaiah 45, God makes it plain: He didn’t create the world in confusion. He didn’t form it empty. And He didn’t call you without purpose.

He established the earth. That Hebrew word means “to assign destiny.” God gives shape, order, identity, and composition to everything He makes. You were born with design. You were saved with intent. You’ve been formed for fruitfulness.

Don’t waste your life trying to walk in someone else’s calling. Embrace the composition God gave you. That includes your temperament, your talents, your testimony, and yes—even your trials.

When God Hides… Keep Walking

Isaiah 45:15 says, 'Truly You are a God who hides Yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior.'

There will be seasons where you can’t see God’s hand. But you still have His word.

God speaks righteousness. He doesn’t mumble. He doesn’t manipulate. He declares truth—even when it’s hidden behind process. He hasn’t forgotten what He told you. He’s shaping you to carry it.

Watch What You Do in the Waiting

The biggest temptation in process is to do something—anything. We hate the silence. We hate the fog. So we start grabbing for control. We start murmuring. We start compromising.

But murmuring is the language of unbelief.

Praise is the language of faith.

And patience is the proof of faith.

Let me say that again: patience is not weakness. It’s faith under pressure. It’s worship in the wilderness. It’s trusting that God hasn’t changed His mind just because the timeline isn’t what you expected.

From Cyrus to Christ

Isaiah 45 prophesied about a Persian king named Cyrus—120 years before he was even born. And when Cyrus finally rose to power, he fulfilled every single word God had spoken. He broke open the gates of Babylon. He freed the captives. He ordered the rebuilding of the temple. And he did it not knowing that his story was already written in the scroll of the prophets.

That’s how precise God is.

And that same Cyrus-built temple? That’s the one Jesus walked into centuries later.

What started as captivity ended in Kingdom.

Final Thought

If you’re in the middle of your process, don’t despise it.

You may not see the fruit yet. You may not understand the timeline. But the Potter never wastes the clay. If He created you, He will form you. If He formed you, He will make you fruitful. If He made you fruitful, He will establish you.

God doesn’t create in vain. He creates to be inhabited. By purpose. By fruit. By glory. By Himself.

And if you hold on—if you trust the process—what He promised WILL come to pass.