Excerpts

Day 1 What to Do in the Waiting And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. --1 Peter 5:10, ESV One Saturday morning, I decided to go on a walk. I came to a stoplight, pressed the button, and waited for the signal. One minute passed. I hit the button again, thinking that surely pressing it multiple times would speed up the process. Another minute passed . . . and I was still waiting. I then noticed a sign above the crosswalk button that read Steady, encouraging pedestrians to wait for the signal to illuminate. I had been standing about four minutes at this one stoplight--which felt like an eternity. And then, finally, a signal said Walk, and I continued on my way. Later that day, I thought about the word steady and how it relates to a long, painful waiting season. Other words for steady are consistent, faithful, regular, and constant. It can be difficult to know what to do while you wait, when you're not sure what's next or why God is making you wait so long. But perhaps there is something we can do as we wait: We can stay steady. We can stay faithful. We can stay consistent, right where our feet are. How has God been faithful to you in the past? What does it look like to stay faithful where God has you today? In my own life, that's looked like continuing to show up to the same church and the same community and love the same people God has given me to love, no matter how frustrating they may seem. I can stay faithful in prayer and Scripture reading, even when I don't see my circumstance changing. Half the battle of staying faithful in a waiting season is continuing to show up. No matter how long you've been waiting, God will give you strength as you struggle to get through today. He will direct you as you feel directionless. He will steady you as you remain faithful to what He has given you to do. Eventually, God's perfect plan will be revealed in your situation. And perhaps because of your wait, the answered prayers and the change of seasons will be all the sweeter when it finally happens. So, stay faithful today. Stay steady. Eventually, this season will give way to something new. And when it happens, you will be ready. Lord, I lift up this season of waiting to You. Please help me wait well and stay faithful right where You have me. I know You will not waste this season. In Jesus's name, amen. Day 2 God Knows What You Need In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. --Romans 8:26 The other day I was sitting at a coffee shop, working on my laptop. When lunchtime rolled around, the most random craving came to mind: I wanted a taco bowl. But since I didn't know of any nearby taco places, I let the thought go. Shortly after, I got a call from one of my good friends. "Hey, Ash, have you had lunch yet?" "No, not yet! But I was just wondering what to get." "I'm going to bring you lunch." That was music to my ears. I thanked her and asked what she was bringing. She replied, "I made Mexican rice this morning, so I'm going to make a little taco bowl with it!" You should have seen the look on my face. Although this example may seem like a happy coincidence, it reveals a God who cares about even the smallest details in our lives. I love what Romans 8:26 says about the Spirit interceding when we don't know what to pray for. Isn't it crazy that the God of the universe knew my desire for a taco bowl--and He met my desire? Not even because I asked Him for it, but just because He loves me. And if God cares about small things like what I want for lunch, He certainly cares about major things, such as what I desire for my life and relationships and future. He cares just as much for your desires right now--no matter how insignificant they may seem. What was a small prayer request God answered for you? What is a big prayer request you can bring to Him today? Your heavenly Father knows what you want and need--even before you ask Him. He knows what you want for lunch. He knows what you want in a spouse. He knows the healing you're seeking, the redemption you crave to see. He knows what you want for your life. This doesn't mean God always gives us everything we want. But do not forget for a second that the God of the universe sees you and cares about you today--even the little details of your life. Even when God doesn't answer prayers in the ways we expect, we can trust that He will provide for us in His perfect timing and according to His perfect plan. So let this be your reminder to bring every need and every request to Him, even the small and seemingly insignificant ones. Just think--if He cares for something as small as my wish for a taco bowl, how much more will He care for you in the big and difficult areas of your life? You are in good hands today. Lord, I lift up my desires to You. I know that You care for the little things as much as the big things. I trust You to provide for me today. In Jesus's name, amen. Day 3 You Won't Know Unless You Go But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. --John 16:13 I don't know about you, but I love to know the entire plan before I do something. I want to know where we're going, what we'll be doing, and where the nearest grocery store is in relation to where we are staying. The problem with this is we rarely know the whole plan before we take the first step. And if we wait for a complete road map, we might not ever move at all. Because God rarely works that way. Many of us want to know for sure that God is telling us to do something before we take that first step. But how do we know if we're hearing God's voice? How do we even get guidance from God? In my own life, God has guided me in many ways: through the Bible, wise counsel from other believers, and even a sense of peace. I've sensed God's direction through song lyrics, movies, and even a billboard. He is quite creative, and He can--and surely will--use anything to speak to us. We can be assured that we aren't alone as we make decisions, because Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide us when we don't know what to do next. But just because we sense God's guidance on something doesn't mean it won't be scary to move. There are still risks involved, because to move in faith is risky. You never really know how things are going to turn out. After all, you are getting guidance from a God you can't even see. In the past, when I have felt God leading me to do something, I have taken a brave step of faith and moved. If that step brought success, I rejoiced. But if I completely failed and fell on my face? The worst thing that happened was that I learned. When have you moved in faith and it was successful? How can you take a step of faith in your situation today? So you might not know the next right step to take. Maybe you feel paralyzed in your situation, not exactly sure what to do. Let this be a gentle reminder to ask God for the wisdom you need. Ask Him to guide you to the right job, to the right person to marry, to the right next step to take. And if you feel He gives you an answer and it aligns with His Word, His peace, and His character, let that be your sign to step out in faith and move. Together, we will succeed--or we will learn. Either way, we will be much better off than if we don't ever try. Lord, I lift up this area of my life where I'm seeking direction. I ask that Your Holy Spirit guide me on the right path. Please show me the way today, and give me the courage to move in faith. In Jesus's name, amen. Excerpted from The Joy of the In-Between: 100 Devotions for Trusting God in Your Waiting Season: a Devotional by Ashley Hetherington All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.