If you are in a season of waiting, you might be navigating feelings of disappointment, fear, or doubt. In this devotional, Rebecca George explores those feelings in light of how our unmet desires can be an invitation to draw closer to God. What if you could have real, biblical hope in a world that says you are running out of time?
David C Cook
Day 1
Scriptures: Psalms 56:8-9, Isaiah 53:3, Revelation 21:4
LIVING IN THE IN-BETWEEN
Longing marks every season of our lives until we reach heaven. We find ourselves waiting for more of one thing, less of another, better of something else.
The truth is, you and I are living between two Edens. God created us to live in perfect fellowship with him in the garden of Eden (Genesis 1–3). After the fall, when sin entered the picture, we began to see and experience the effects of a broken world. Yet we have great hope that—although we find ourselves bumping into brokenness at every turn—one day we will experience perfect fellowship with God when he restores all things and wipes every tear from our eyes. Revelation 21:4 tells us that one day “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.”
But how do we make sense of this in-between time? Maybe you want to trust God, but you find yourself slipping back into old patterns of thinking. Maybe you’re at the end of yourself, weary from disappointing circumstances or the tight grip you hold on your expectations for what your life would look like.
Can I let you in on a secret? You’re not too late for the life God has for you. Sometimes our spiritual Enemy tricks us into believing that God is playing some sort of cosmic game with us. We start to buy into the world’s lie and think that we need to check the right boxes, do the right things, and then we will finally get what we really want in life. Our culture whispers, Then you’ll be happy.
But the truth is, getting the thing you want still wouldn’t be enough. Because only God can satisfy our deepest longings—and there is a great purpose exactly where God has placed your feet right now.
Your tears are not in vain. God sees every single one (Psalm 56:8) and is well acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3). And you are not too late. You are on God’s watch, and he is asking you to open your hands in surrender as you lay your desires in his trustworthy arms.
Lord, help me walk faithfully in the life you have given me today, believing that your purpose is being fulfilled even in this in-between place. Amen.
Day 2
Scriptures: John 10:10, Romans 8:28, Galatians 6:8-10
JOY IN THE WAITING
Chasing the next thing, even if it’s a worthy pursuit, will never result in lasting contentment. It will only leave us wanting more of what the world has to offer.
If we sow to the flesh, focusing on things that will not matter in eternity, we will reap the things of the flesh. If we sow in the Spirit, fixing our eyes on eternal things that will last, we will reap eternal life (Galatians 6:8–10). Much like trying to fill a pot with a hole in the bottom, we often pour our time, resources, and energy into activities or people that can only bring us temporary happiness. Eventually, all the water will drain out of our pots and leave us feeling empty again.
The good news? We don’t have to earn the reward of experiencing true joy. It’s a free gift we receive as we abide in Jesus.
As we learn to trust in God’s timing, we rely on three key elements to help us find joy in the waiting:
The Word: We cannot move from despair to joy without rooting ourselves in Scripture.
God’s character: The more we seek God, the more we understand his limitless love for us.
God’s presence: We carry the Holy Spirit within us wherever we go. Therefore, we are never alone—even when we walk through seasons of hardship.
Satan wants to keep us from knowing God’s joy. Jesus told us that the Enemy comes “to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10).
To see our situation through a different lens, we have to replace the world’s lies with God’s truth: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Does this mean we have no role to play in God’s purposes for us? Far from it. In fact, despair can be a gift. It leaves us with nowhere to look but up at Jesus, the only one who will ever bring lasting joy (2 Corinthians 4:18).
Lord, I am tired of focusing on my despair. Help me fix my eyes on Jesus. Amen.
Day 3
Scriptures: Psalms 6:6-7, Psalms 13, Psalms 22:1-2, Psalms 38:9, Psalms 51, Psalms 61:1-2
BE HONEST WITH GOD
My husband and I have very different communication styles.
His: Direct and plainly spoken.
Mine: Well, … anything but that.
After a lot of practice, I’ve become more confident in expressing what I need. But sometimes I wonder: Do I also need to be more direct with God? I am encouraged by the words of King David, a man after God’s own heart, who asked God hard questions. If you’ve ever asked these questions, you will find comfort in how David brought the same longings before God:
Can I really be honest with God about how exhausted I am? “I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes” (Psalm 6:6–7).
Has God forgotten about me? “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?” (Psalm 13:1–2)
Will God ever answer my prayer? “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest” (Psalm 22:1–2).
Does God really see, or care about, my longings? “O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you” (Psalm 38:9).
Does God really see my hidden sin? “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment” (Psalm 51:3–4).
Does God notice my weariness? “Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:1–2).
God doesn’t turn away from us in our pain. He longs for intimacy with us. His arms are a safe place for your despair to land.
God, all my desires lie open before you. What do you want me to hear from you today? Amen.
Day 4
Scriptures: Psalms 37:4, Psalms 139, Isaiah 55:8-9
THE DESIRES OF OUR HEARTS
Sometimes we give in to the illusion that if we only have enough faith or pray just a little harder, God will bring what we want to our lives. It’s easy to let this false narrative seep into our hearts and believe that if we can wish it, speak it, dream it, pray it, seek it, name it, or claim it, then it’s ours for the taking. This is the prosperity gospel, not Christianity.
God never promised that we’ll receive everything we desire. Nor did he tell us that all our dreams will be met in the way we wish. It might feel better to our aching hearts, at least temporarily, to believe that if we muster up enough human effort and courage, God will give us what we want. But in doing that, we would be neglecting the truth that our sovereign God is the orchestrator of life and that his ways and thoughts are higher than ours (see Isaiah 55:8–9).
Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” We can’t overlook the beginning of this verse, which says the desires of our hearts are found by delighting in him. If we really want to discover true joy, we must keep our eyes on him in complete and total reliance.
Joy comes on the other side of our delight in the God who numbers our days—not when our days turn out exactly as we planned (see Psalm 90). His presence and infinite knowledge are close comforts when our despair feels all-consuming.
In Psalm 139, David praised God for his knowledge and presence in his life. He recognized that God knew everything about him and was always with him. The same is true for us today.
Following the pattern of Psalm 139, consider these questions….
Recognize my thoughts: What is causing my despair during this season of my life?
Reveal my sin: Is there a sin pattern (in word or deed) that has caused my despair?
Realign my attitude: How does my attitude need to change so I can experience true joy even in my waiting?
Remember God’s way: What is my next step as I aim to experience joy in him?
God, in what ways are you calling me to experience joy in you today? Amen.
Day 5
Scriptures: Matthew 6:33, Luke 9:23, 2 Corinthians 3:5
THE JOY OF LETTING GO
Our minds wander in a hurry, don’t they? We can so easily fixate on a future reality and put a plan in place to make it happen. Maybe it’s a job promotion or a college degree. Maybe it’s a spouse or a child or a home. Whatever desire you’re chasing, it can easily become an idol when you worship the idea of your hoped-for outcome.
I’m not saying it’s wrong to dream. It’s perfectly normal to feel excitement about what God might do in a particular situation. But when our hearts become fixated more on our earthly desires than on worshipping God, we have tread into dangerous waters.
The world tells us: What I long for will satisfy me more fully than God.
God tells us: True satisfaction and contentment will only be found as I surrender my plans to God.
When we equate God’s perceived goodness with our circumstances, we may find ourselves disappointed. But when we trust that he is MORE than enough for us in ANY circumstance, we can surrender and allow him to work in our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:5).
Jesus modeled for us what it looks like to lay aside our own desires to pursue God’s bigger plan. He made this clear in Luke 9 when he explained that to be his disciples, we must deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow him daily.
Anything more than God is a lie. Anything less than God will leave our hearts begging for more.
We don’t need stronger arms to pick things up and proudly hold our idols up before Jesus’ gaze so we ensure he sees exactly how we hope he works next. We need a posture of humility to lay things down at his feet. Our fingers will ache at times from the tight grip we held, but there is such freedom and renewed joy on the other side of letting go.
God, what are you calling me to release to you today? I long to seek you alone for contentment, hope, and lasting joy. In this place of longing and waiting, I lift my weary heart to you. Remind me that you alone are my satisfaction and my peace. When I am tempted to believe that life has passed me by or that my desires have gone unnoticed, help me to trust in your perfect timing and plan. Amen.