When God Turned a National Motto into a Personal Promise

The month began in the Bahamas.

I had the incredible honor of singing the Bahamian National Anthem at an event there. Throughout my time on the islands, one phrase surrounded me everywhere I went:

“Forward. Upward. Onward Together.”

It is the national motto of the Bahamas.

At the time, I admired it as a beautiful expression of a nation’s identity.

I had no idea that God was about to use those words as a personal promise for the month ahead.

Now, as this month comes to a close, I find myself on a train headed to Miami to attend an event hosted by the Bahamas Diaspora.

How fitting.

The month that began with the Bahamas is ending with the Bahamas.

Only now, those four words carry far more meaning than they did at the beginning.

As I settled into my seat, I began scrolling through my phone. Almost every video and reel carried the same theme:

Your breakthrough is closer than you think.

After the week I had, I needed that reminder.

This week reminded me of Job. Every time I thought one problem was over, another appeared. I felt discouraged, betrayed, exhausted, and yet I still had to show up, smile, and perform.

Then the Lord brought me back to the word He had spoken at the beginning of the month.

Forward. Upward. Onward Together.

It wasn’t just a motto.

It had become an instruction.

Keep moving.

But how do you keep moving when everything around you seems to be falling apart?

As I sat on the train, the Holy Spirit reminded me of four biblical accounts.

Not stories of people who escaped hardship.

Stories of people who trusted God’s Word in the middle of it.

The Ship Broke, But God’s Word Didn’t

Acts 27–28

Paul was a prisoner on his way to Rome when a violent storm threatened to destroy the ship. An angel assured him that everyone would survive if they followed God’s instruction (Acts 27:22–25).

The ship eventually broke apart.

It sank.

Yet every person reached shore safely, exactly as God had promised (Acts 27:44).

The shipwreck led Paul to Malta, where he ministered, healed the sick, and shared the gospel (Acts 28:1–10).

The ship broke.

God’s Word didn’t.

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The Storm Raged, But God’s Word Didn’t

Matthew 14:22–33; Mark 6:45–52; John 6:16–21

Jesus told His disciples to go to the other side.

He promised a destination—not calm water.

As they obeyed, the storm intensified. Then Jesus came walking on the very waves that terrified them. Peter stepped out in faith, and Jesus ultimately calmed the storm.

They arrived exactly where Jesus said they would.

The storm raged.

God’s Word didn’t.

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The Walls Fell, But God’s Word Didn’t

Joshua 2; Joshua 6; Hebrews 11:30–31

God promised Joshua victory before the battle ever began.

Then He gave Israel an unexpected strategy: march, blow the trumpets, and shout.

When they obeyed, the walls of Jericho fell.

Except Rahab’s.

While everything around her collapsed, Rahab stood firm because she trusted the promise the spies had given her (Joshua 2:17–21).

The walls fell.

God’s Word didn’t.

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The Delay Came, But God’s Word Didn’t

John 11

Last Sunday, Pastor Dharius Daniels preached from the story of Lazarus.

Jesus declared,

“This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4)

Yet Jesus delayed.

From Mary and Martha’s perspective, the delay looked like disappointment.

Lazarus died.

But Jesus already knew what they could not yet see.

The delay was preparing the stage for God’s glory.

When Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb, He proved that His timing had never been late.

The delay came.

God’s Word didn’t.

What God Has Been Teaching Me

As I reflected on these four accounts, one truth became unmistakably clear.

Sometimes the waves rise.

Sometimes the ship breaks apart.

Sometimes the walls crumble.

Sometimes the answer seems delayed.

Not because God has abandoned us.

But because He is accomplishing something greater than we can see.

Then the Holy Spirit whispered something that stopped me in my tracks.

Rebecca…you asked for this.

You asked Me to bless you exceedingly.

You asked Me to use your life for My glory.

You asked Me to do what only I could do.

Extraordinary blessings require extraordinary dependence.

Paul trusted God’s Word while the ship was breaking apart.

The disciples trusted God’s Word while the storm raged.

Joshua trusted God’s Word before the walls moved.

Rahab trusted God’s promise while the walls around her were collapsing.

Mary and Martha trusted Jesus even when His timing didn’t make sense.

None of them were asked to understand everything.

They were simply asked to trust what God had said.

So perhaps that is my assignment too.

As the waves rise, I will trust His Word.

As the ship breaks apart, I will trust His Word.

As the walls crumble, I will trust His Word.

As the delay continues, I will trust His Word.

Because my confidence is not in calm seas, sturdy ships, fortified walls, or immediate answers.

My confidence is in the God who speaks before the miracle ever happens.

Forward. Upward. Onward. Together.

As this month comes to a close, I realize God framed the entire journey with the Bahamas.

He began the month with “Forward. Upward. Onward Together.”

He is ending the month with “Forward. Upward. Onward Together.”

The circumstances changed.

I changed.

But His Word did not.

This month stretched me.

It challenged my faith.

It exposed places where I was relying on my own strength instead of His.

Yet I now see things differently.

The waves are not proof that God has left me.

The breaking ship is not proof that His promise has failed.

The crumbling walls are not proof that I have lost.

The delay is not proof that God has forgotten me.

They are reminders that God is still writing the story.

Paul reached the island.

The disciples reached the other side.

Joshua entered the Promised Land.

Rahab walked into God’s redemptive story.

Lazarus walked out of the tomb.

None of them would have chosen the process.

But every one of them experienced the faithfulness of God because they held on to His Word.

So I will continue moving forward.

I will continue looking upward.

I will continue pressing onward.

And I will do it together with Him.

Because when the waves have settled, the broken pieces have reached the shore, the dust from the fallen walls has cleared, and the delay has given way to resurrection, there will be only one explanation left.

God did it.

And He alone gets the glory.