Metamorphosis
by Bernard Kariuki
Egg, larva, pupa, and butterfly, these stages are known as a metamorphosis. Each stage is crucial to forming a beautiful butterfly. They eat well in the larva or caterpillar stage, and then hang on a branch to wait for the pupa stage. It looks like nothing is going on inside the pupa, but there’s a massive transformation taking place. Finally, it will emerge as a beautiful butterfly, which we all love to see more than a caterpillar.
In Psalm 40:1, David didn’t only wait for the Lord, but he waited patiently for the Lord. I believe that’s the key for receiving the best from the Lord. That’s the key for the Lord making everything beautiful in our lives; patience. Metamorphosis is all about patience. I read about one pupa stage which can even take up to a year before turning into a butterfly. That’s patience.
In most cases, the Lord doesn’t give deadlines. The Israelites didn’t know how long they would be wandering in the desert before reaching the promised land. It’s through the ‘metamorphosis’ stage in the desert that Joshua’s leadership was made beautiful, but the impatience of others about the ‘metamorphosis’ led to their death.
David didn’t know how long he would be running from Saul before he became king. In his ‘metamorphosis’ of becoming king, he never lost sight of the Lord. He was one of the best kings Israel ever had.
Joseph had a terrible 'metamorphosis', being left in a pit to die, suffering sexual harassment, and finally betrayal in prison. In all this he patiently waited for the Lord to bring the fulfilment of his prophetic dreams. He didn't know how long it would take, but he knew, in God’s timing, everything would be made beautiful.
The time a butterfly spends in each stage of its cycle prepares it for the next stage, and if we see it struggling to break free from the pupa and decide to help it, its butterfly wings won’t be strong enough.
In the same way, if we add human effort to what the Lord is intending to do in our lives, we won’t be able to flap our ‘wings’ for very long. The Lord want us to stand still and see His salvation; to be still and know that He is Lord. Sarai was impatient during her ‘metamorphosis’ with the Lord, so she put in her own effort to speed up God’s promises for Abraham. The world has been affected ever since by the Ishmael she brought forth.
The Lord knows the plan He has for you and He is building you up for every stage of that plan to give you hope and a future. Maybe now you’re in the ‘crawling stage’, feeling limited, or the pupa stage where everything seems to have stopped, and nothing seems to be happening from the outside. Don’t give up on God. In His time you’ll break free and fly like a beautiful butterfly that has been made strong by ‘metamorphosis’.
|Prayer: Dear Lord, give me patience to go through my ‘metamorphosis’ without losing my focus on you. As the deer longs for streams of water, let me long for You, always. Thank You for Your amazing creation (Psalm 19:1-4). Your creation makes You known, day after day, and continues to speak, without a sound. Thank You for speaking to me today through the life of a butterfly. Amen.
Bernard Kariuki is from Kenya, and married to Yulia from Russia. They met in Ellel Ministries and served together for many years at both Ellel Scotland and Ellel Grange. Bernard has the desire to share the Word of God with young people, for he desires to see young people walking in holy fear of the Lord.
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