God Rejoices to See You Begin
- Shakila B.
- Jul 13
- 6 min read
A reminder for the building, healing, and becoming season
Hey Sparkle Bestie!
I miss you. 😊✨
It has been a while since I last wrote. I try not to force myself to write because I want everything I share here to come from a genuine place, from something I have lived, learned, prayed through, or felt God place on my heart.
This morning, the words began to rise again.
Lately, I have been listening to sermons from Dr. Myles Munroe and learning more about Jesus, the Kingdom of God, and what it means to live as a Kingdom citizen.
But this morning, I had that feeling.
You know the one—IYKYK. (If You Know You Know.)
I knew I needed to turn everything else down and sit in the presence of the Lord.
I opened my Bible expecting to read Matthew, but instead I found myself in Zechariah. His visions of the future immediately caught my attention because that is where I feel I am right now.
I am living in the present, but my heart is connected to the future.
I have been in a deep season of slowing down, healing, resting, and preparing. Most days, I sleep more than I would like to. I deal with side effects from medications and treatment, and my body often requires more patience than my plans allowed.
But I do not believe this season is empty.
I do not believe rest means nothing is happening.
I believe God is using this time to heal me, prepare me, and strengthen the foundation for where He is taking me next.
Then I read Zechariah 4:10:
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”
I stopped and smiled.
God rejoices to see the work begin.
Not only the finished product.
Not only the grand opening.
Not only the moment when everyone finally understands the vision.
God Rejoices to See You Begin in the Small Steps
God appreciates the beginning.
He sees the first draft.
He sees the first phone call.
He sees the email you were nervous to send.
He sees the first prayer after you have been away for a while.
He sees you researching, preparing, learning, organizing, and trying again.
He sees the work before anybody else knows there is work to see.
And He rejoices.
That gentle reminder made me realize that if God appreciates the beginning, perhaps I should learn to appreciate my beginnings too.
Lately, I have been doing a lot of administrative and foundational work behind the scenes for my business.
People often see the finished result, but they do not always see the emails, meetings, documents, research, prayer, preparation, and uncertainty that came before it.
They do not see what it takes to keep building when you do not yet understand how everything will come together.
But God sees it.
He sees the small steps.
He sees the foundation.
He sees that you began.
And your beginning matters to Him.
Not by Strength Alone
A few verses earlier, Zechariah 4:6 says:
“‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
Oh, I love this so much.
There are days when I know I cannot do everything in my own strength.
And the truth is, I was never meant to.
We live in an age of information. We have books, technology, artificial intelligence, courses, teachers, and resources available at our fingertips.
And yet, even with all that information, we still need God.
We need more than information.
We need wisdom.
We need discernment.
We need direction.
We need to be equipped to do God’s work in God’s way, through God’s Spirit.
I am challenging myself to return to God daily for my equipping because I cannot do this alone.
And honestly, I do not want to.
I am thankful that the Holy Spirit resides within me and that I can become still, quiet the noise, and ask God for guidance at any time.
I need that.
Especially now.
Resting Without Releasing the Promise
During this season, I continue to speak life over myself.
I am healthy, whole, and complete.
Believing the promise while living through a difficult situation is not always easy. Some days, what we see tries to speak louder than what God said.
But God has never failed me.
And I do not believe He will begin now.
So I am learning to honor the pace of this season without releasing my expectation for the future.
I can rest and still believe.
I can slow down and still make progress.
I can honor my body and still remain committed to the assignment.
I can take one small step and trust God with all the steps I cannot yet see.
Rest is not the abandonment of the vision.
Sometimes rest is part of the preparation.
Let’s Pray About It ✨
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being present in every stage of our journey.
Thank You for seeing the work that happens quietly. Thank You for noticing the first steps, the private prayers, the difficult decisions, and the small acts of obedience that may not yet look significant to anyone else.
Teach us not to despise our beginnings.
Help us appreciate the foundation while we are building it. Remind us that the unseen work still matters and that the time spent healing, learning, preparing, and becoming is never wasted in Your hands.
Help us honor our bodies and the seasons we are in without releasing the promises You have placed in our hearts.
Give us the courage to take the next step today, no matter how small it may appear.
Thank You for rejoicing when the work begins and for remaining faithful until that work is complete.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Your Beginning Matters
Sparkle Bestie, I hope this message brings you hope this morning.
I hope you remember that starting is just as important as finishing.
God loves to see you begin.
He rejoices because you tried again.
He rejoices because you picked up the tools.
He rejoices because, after everything you have been through, there is still something inside you willing to believe that more is possible.
So think about something you have started recently.
Perhaps it is moving more slowly than you expected.
Perhaps you thought you would be further along by now.
Perhaps your beginning feels too small to celebrate.
Today, I encourage you to return to that good work.
Not by rushing.
Not by punishing yourself.
Not by ignoring what your body or spirit needs.
But by taking one faithful step.
The goal is not going anywhere. It will still be there after you rest. It will still be there while you learn. It will still be there as you gather what you need.
You do not have to finish everything today.
You only have to honor the step God has placed in front of you.
Send the email.
Write the paragraph.
Make the appointment.
Return to the prayer.
Organize the folder.
Pick the dream back up.
Whatever it is, begin.
God rejoices to see the work begin, and your Sparkle Bestie is cheering for you too.
Love you a bunches. You already know I am rooting for you.
With love and sparkle,
Your Sparkle Bestie,
Shakila B. ✨
Continue Reading ✨
If this message encouraged you, you may also enjoy:
Just Call Me Mrs. Longgame — a reflection on patience, unseen preparation, and trusting what God is building over time.
The Battle Is Not Yours — a reminder to seek God, take aligned action, and release what was never yours to carry alone.
When Joy Becomes Warfare — encouragement for protecting your joy, hope, and identity while walking through a difficult season.
A Question for You to Sit With
What small beginning have you overlooked or underestimated, and what would it look like to honor it with one faithful step today?
P.S. Gonna always leave you with a song, bestie!! XOXO
*Some images in this post were created with the assistance of AI as a visual extension of the written message.
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