Don’t Curse What’s Crowning You
Dear Firebrand Generation,
W
elcome to July, the seventh month.
The halfway point has passed. We’re now crossing over. And while that sounds exciting… for many, it still feels exhausting.
You anticipated momentum, but what arrived was pressure. You hoped for manifestation, but met resistance. And in place of clarity, you’re navigating silence. And let’s be honest: when you’re caught between prophecy and performance, between promise and payoff… the temptation is real.
You want to call it what it looks like: A waste. A failure. A delay. A detour. You want to roll your eyes at “process” and sigh at the sound of “purpose.”
But heaven is whispering “Don’t curse what I’m using to crown you.”
The Story: When I Almost Missed the Gift Wrapped in Grit
Last month, I shared a grocery store meltdown with a metaphor for life’s frustrating delays. This month let’s go deeper.
Years ago, I was in a wilderness season where obedience felt like a joke. Doors stayed shut. Prayers hit the ceiling. Meanwhile, others thrived on shortcuts. One night, I snapped: “God, is this even worth it?”
His reply wrecked me: “Don’t curse this season. This is where I’m making you.” Not promoting you. Making you. The silence wasn’t abandonment, it was sanctification. The pressure wasn’t punishment, it was preparation. I almost cursed the very ground where my oil was forming.
The Sacred Strain of the In-Between
We celebrate beginnings. We shout about breakthroughs. But the in-between? That quiet, stretching space of not yet?
That’s where the real transformation happens. The in-between is where:
- Vision feels blurry not because God left, but because He’s refining your focus.
- Old identities fall off, but new ones feel unfamiliar.
- Rest feels like a struggle because growth is demanding.
- Your “yes” stops glowing but gains grit.
This is sacred ground where purpose is processed, not postponed. The danger? Mistaking the making for the breaking. You’ll call it punishment (when it’s preparation), failure (when it’s formation), silence (when it’s sanctification).
But this isn’t abandonment. This is the Potter at work. Your crown isn’t found in applause; it’s forged in the crush. The pressure isn’t burying you. It’s building your legacy.
You’re not stuck, you’re being shaped. And one day, you’ll trace the oil on your life back to this very place.
The Cost of Cursing the Process
Calling your wilderness worthless blinds you to its work. When you curse the middle:
- You reject sacred shaping. Calling it “barren” when God’s still molding you
- You mute your transformation. Going through motions without expectation
- You extend your wilderness. Like Israel’s 40-year detour, their words trapped them.
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” — Matthew 12:34.
Firebrand: Your words in the waiting forge your future. Don’t call it wasted when you’re being weaponized.
Why the Middle Matters (Shortened Version)
The middle doesn’t look like breakthrough or feel like victory but it’s holy ground. It’s where God shapes you to carry what He’s promised.
Let’s be real:
- Oil doesn’t come from ease.
- Stamina isn’t built through shortcuts.
- You can’t wear a crown if you can’t carry weight.
The middle exposes what the start ignored insecurity, pride, impatience and forges the character your calling needs. You’re not just waiting for you to be made ready. The pressing? Painful. The pause? Crushing. But it’s producing oil that won’t fade when applause does.
“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Reflective Questions for the Firebrand in the Middle
Take 15 minutes this week. Journal. Reflect. Ask:
- What have I stopped praying for that I know God still wants to do?
- What lie have I believed about this season?
- Who do I need to invite into my healing and help hold me accountable?
- If I believed God still has something good planned for me what would I do differently this week?
Quote of the Month
“DON’T CURSE whats crushing you”
A Prayer for the Weary in the Middle
God,
We admit we’re weary. Not just in body, but deep in soul. Tired of the waiting, the silence, the weight. But today, we trade frustration for fresh faith.
Forgive us for calling this pressure punishment, when it’s been preparation all along. Even when it feels slow, you’re moving. Even when it feels hidden, you’re working. Even when it feels heavy, you’re holding us.
Anchor us. Give us grace for the pain and joy for the journey. Remind us of what You’re building in us is worth the wait. We won’t curse the middle. We won’t waste the oil. We won’t die in delay. We’ll finish with fire.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Wrapping It Up: Don’t Curse the Crushing
Firebrand,
The middle is messy. The timing feels off. But what seems like delay is divine design. This tension? It’s training. This pressure? Its purpose. This silence? It’s sacred. Don’t curse it. Don’t quit it. Your crown is formed in the crushing. One day, you’ll say: “That wasn’t punishment. That was my making.”
So, hold your ground. Guard your oil. Heaven is still moving, even here. “We’re not dying here. We’re going through.” The same God who saw you in January will crown you in December. The story isn’t over. The miracle is still moving. And your middle is about to make sense.
Key Takeaways: Truth for the Tension
✅Don’t curse the wait, it’s making you weighty.
✅Don’t fear the fire, it’s where the oil forms.
✅Delay isn’t denial, it’s divine development.
✅You’re not stuck, you’re being set apart.
✅What feels like a stretch is setting up your strength.
✅What God is crowning later, He is crushing now. Don’t curse it.
Wow!! Glory!!
This part stuck with me:
“Oil doesn’t come from ease.
Stamina isn’t built through shortcuts.
You can’t wear a crown if you can’t carry weight.”
I heard the spirit of the Lord say to me, Don’t grow weary in the middle! Don’t faint in the in-between! He will renew your strength!!
&&
As you said, “Don’t curse what’s crowning you!!!”
Hallelujah! 🙌🏾
Thank you so much for reading and for such a powerful reflection!
We really do need these reminders especially in the middle to help us keep pressing forward.
Amen and amen! May we continue to carry the weight with grace, knowing the crown is worth it.
My God. This message was right on time. It came as a reminder to stay strong in this season of my life . I know God is with me in the valley I won’t loose hope. My destiny is too great 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾 Amen 🙏🏽
That’s exactly why this message was written, for Firebrands like you who are in the valley but still holding on. Yes, the weight is real. Yes, the warfare is intense (I can relate). But so is the glory that’s coming. Don’t lose hope your destiny is too great to die in the middle.
God sees you, walks with you, and is crowning you even in the crushing. Keep standing. Keep pressing. You’re not alone, and you’re not forgotten.
The valley is proof that the mountaintop is on the way.
“The in between” is not celebrated but that’s the is the vital part of the process.
It’s the molding, constructing and the refinery part of the process.
Thank you for echoing the heartbeat of this blog may we learn to honor the process, not just the promise.
Thank you for echoing the heartbeat of this blog may we learn to honor the process, not just the promise.
This message is on point with what we all go through at various stages in our lives. The Holy Spirit dropped two scriptures in my heart as I was reading your article.
The scripture “life and death is in the power of the tongue” in Proverbs 18:21.
This verse emphasizes the profound impact that words can have, highlighting their potential to both build up and tear down. It suggests that our speech can bring about positive or negative consequences, both for ourselves and others.
The second scripture was Proverbs 3:5-6 which stated,
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart”:
This emphasizes complete and unwavering faith in God, placing all trust in His wisdom and guidance.
“and lean not on your own understanding”:
This suggests that relying solely on one’s own limited knowledge and reasoning is insufficient for navigating life’s complexities.
“in all your ways acknowledge Him”:
This highlights the importance of including God in every aspect of life, seeking His will and direction in all decisions and actions.
“and He will make your paths straight”:
This offers the promise that when one trusts in God and seeks His guidance, He will lead them on the right path, making their way clear and prosperous.
Amen and amen.🙌🏾🙏🏾🙌🏾
Thank you for sharing what the Holy Spirit revealed!
Proverbs 18:21 remind us that delay doesn’t just live in our circumstances; it can live in our confessions. What we speak over our lives matters. When we speak about life, trust, and expectation, even in delay we partner with heaven’s timing instead of resisting it.
And Proverbs 3:5–6? That’s the anchor. When God reroutes, it’s not rejection t’s redirection. Sometimes the “traffic” is God protecting us from what we weren’t ready for or what wasn’t ready for us. But when we trust, acknowledge, and surrender, He clears the road.
“Delay isn’t Denial”- I knew there had to be a reason my blessings got stuck in heavenly traffic!
Thanks for this blessed punch to the soul!
Absolutely! Sometimes God’s “not yet” is just divine timing rerouting us for something even greater.