T.D. Jakes: These Bumps in the Road Mean That You’re Close to Your BREAKTHROUGH!
The Bumpy Road to Breakthrough: Why Life’s Struggles Mean You’re Closer to God’s Blessings
We all dream of a smooth path in life—a highway paved with opportunities and joy, completely free from potholes and obstacles. But the reality is, every believer knows that the journey to a better place is never easy. You may look around and wonder why others seem further along, but know this: no one gets to their blessing without traveling a bumpy road. If you’re going through trials and setbacks, if life feels more like a struggle than a stroll, take heart. That’s often the clearest sign that you’re approaching a breakthrough, that God is about to do something new in your life.
Embracing the Famine: Recognizing God’s Push to Move
In the story of Jacob and his sons, we see a profound lesson about how to handle our own personal “famines”—those dry seasons when it feels like joy, peace, or even provision is hard to come by. As the famine raged, Jacob didn’t just sit by and hope for the best. He recognized that simply praying for change wouldn’t be enough. Yes, prayer is vital, but there’s also a responsibility to take action. Jacob told his sons plainly: “You will not defeat the famine by looking at each other.” The message? When lack and hardship come, don’t just remain stuck and wait for things to change—move forward even when it’s uncomfortable.
So many times, we’ve been taught to pray, praise, and worship, and those are vital parts of our faith. But God also wants us to take the necessary steps in the physical world. Just as the prodigal son had to rise and go home, and the woman with the issue of blood had to push through the crowd, you too must step out, even when it’s hard.
The Purpose Behind the Pain
Life’s tough seasons—the famines—serve a bigger purpose than we often realize. Sometimes, God will allow a famine in your life not to harm you, but to stir you out of comfort. It could be a famine of peace, of love, of financial provision, or acceptance. We all face these hungry moments in some form. Yet, that hunger moves us, stretches us, and pushes us toward God’s next destination. Instead of seeing these times as punishment, see them as divine motivation. God uses the famine to get you on the road to your destiny.
Our natural reaction is to complain or to wait for miracles, but God’s plan often involves both His power and our participation. He’s designed blessings to be collaborative. You might not be able to rebuke every hardship away with a single prayer—sometimes, God’s answer is in moving. When we finally step out, even when it’s risky and unfamiliar, we open ourselves to receive God’s provision in places we never expected.
Letting Go of Fear: What Are You Holding Onto?
Jacob’s decision to keep his beloved son Benjamin at home was rooted in fear. After years of pain, after losing Joseph, Jacob couldn’t bear to risk losing what he loved most. How many times does fear work in our lives the same way? We hold onto relationships, positions, or even habits—not because they’re fruitful, but because we’re afraid of being left empty. Fear tricks us into imagining that what we have is all we’ll ever get.
But squeezing our blessings out of fear—whether that’s people, opportunities, or finances—actually limits our potential. Faith is the antidote to fear. While fear prophesies that we will lose what we cherish, faith believes that God is the giver of every good thing and that His supply never runs dry. Releasing that tight grip allows God to move and restore in ways beyond what we’ve imagined.
The Family Factor: Healing Generational Wounds
Within Jacob’s family lay another famine—a famine of trust. Past betrayals and buried pain bred suspicion and division. It’s not uncommon: every family has its hidden wounds and delicate dynamics. Sometimes the most difficult battles are not against famine in the land, but famine in our relationships. But God’s purpose isn’t just to bless us with material provision or personal achievements; He longs to heal our homes, too.
Jacob’s hesitance to send Benjamin reflected wounds that hadn’t been fully mended. Yet, God orchestrates events, even painful ones, to draw families and communities back together. Restoration is part of God’s plan. Often, the greatest road to “better” isn’t just in acquiring more, but in allowing God to reconcile and redeem the pain of past generational struggles.
You Can’t Get to Better Without the Bumpy Road
Here’s a universal truth: all those who have reached “better”—in their purpose, in their calling, in their spiritual walk—have walked a bumpy road to get there. You can’t bypass discipline to gain strength, skip heartache to gain wisdom, or avoid inconvenience to grow in faith. There is no magic solution or pain-free shortcut. The challenges you’re facing right now are preparing you for the very things you’ve been praying for.
Ultimately, Jacob’s decision to let go and trust God’s plan led him to reunite with Joseph, the son he thought he’d lost forever. Years of heartache culminated in breakthrough, as God’s purpose unfolded in a way that brought both restoration and blessing to the entire family. Joseph became the very one to bless the people who once wronged him—a powerful reminder that God’s plans are so much bigger than our pain.
God’s Favor Is for Those He Can Trust
Have you ever wondered what’s standing between you and your “breakthrough?” It’s not always the circumstance outside you, but often the condition of your heart. God can only entrust great favor and power to those who will steward it with humility, kindness, and forgiveness. When Joseph ascended to power, it wasn’t so he could take vengeance; instead, he
