Tag: #LivingFaithfullyInTheInBetween

Days 212 to 215 of 365: One Step Toward Wholeness

Sacred Journey Devotionals: A Journey To Wholeness4 Comments

Greetings, Precious Family. May the Peace of the Lord be with you always.

Family, have you ever noticed how easy it is to become focused on the destination?

We tell ourselves, “When I get there, I’ll have peace. When I overcome this, I’ll finally be whole. When life settles down, then I’ll begin living.”

But life with God rarely unfolds that way.

As I spent time with the Lord, I was reminded of something so simple, yet so profound:

A journey doesn’t begin with a destination. It begins with one step. Sometimes a very small one.

Many of us are waiting until we feel strong enough, brave enough, healed enough, or confident enough before we move forward.
Yet God so often meets us before any of those things happen.

He meets us in the first step.
He meets us when our knees are shaking.
He meets us when our prayers are only a whisper.

He meets us when all we can manage is to say, “Lord, help me.”

Perhaps that is why Scripture so often speaks about walking with God.

One step. Then another.

Our journey to wholeness is not measured by how quickly we arrive. It is measured by our willingness to keep walking with the One who never leaves our side.

Family, don’t become discouraged if your progress feels small. Small steps are still steps.

One act of obedience.
One prayer.
One moment of choosing faith over fear.
One decision to trust God again.

Each one is part of the beautiful work He is doing within us.

Wholeness is not created in a single moment. It is formed over time as we faithfully place one foot in front of the other and discover that God has been walking beside us all along.

So today, don’t ask yourself how you will finish the entire journey. Simply ask the Lord,

“What is my next step?“

Then trust Him enough to take it. He already knows the destination.

Let Us Pray

Abba,

Tonight we come to You just as we are.

Some of us are weary.
Some of us are afraid.
Some of us have become so accustomed to asking, “What if?” that we have forgotten what it feels like to simply rest.

Father, thank You for being our safe place.

Thank You that we never have to earn the privilege of coming into Your presence. We do not have to have all the answers. We do not have to have perfect faith. We do not have to stop our tears before You welcome us into Your arms.

Just as a loving father gathers his child close and quietly whispers, “I’ve got you,” You do the same for us.

When our hearts are overwhelmed, hold us a little tighter.

When our minds are filled with fear, remind us that we do not have to carry tomorrow today.

When our tears begin to fall, let us never be ashamed of them. Instead, let every tear become a reminder that we are safe enough to be completely honest with You.

Teach us to rest against Your heart until fear no longer has the loudest voice.

Replace the noise of anxiety with the quiet assurance of Your presence.

Replace our striving with Your peace.

Replace our “What ifs?” with the gentle reminder that You are already waiting in every tomorrow we will ever face.

And when it is time to move, give us the courage to take the next step—not because we are fearless, but because we know Who is walking beside us.

Thank You for being the Father whose arms are always open… the Father who never grows weary of holding His children… the Father whose love is steady, gentle, and unchanging.

Tonight, we choose to rest in that love.

In the precious and comforting name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen, Amen, and Amen.

Worship Video of the Day

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Rev. Marcia Davis, BA, MA

Covington, GA (USA)

Day 197 – 199 of 365: Living Faithfully in the In-Between

Sacred Journey Devotionals: A Journey To WholenessLeave a comment

Greetings, Precious Family. May the Peace of the Lord be with you always.

Family, please forgive my absence this week. My days have been incredibly long, and by the time I crawled into bed each night, I was simply exhausted.

Unfortunately, when I’m that tired, my brain is not functioning at its best for writing. I have finally been able to catch up on some much-needed rest, and now my thoughts are beginning to settle into place.

Family, as we continue talking about living faithfully in the in-between, we are talking about what happens inside the parentheses of our lives. These are the moments that often go unnoticed because they are neither the beginning nor the ending of the story. Yet it is often within those parentheses that God does some of His greatest work.

One thing I have learned recently is that just because something feels painful, uncomfortable, or unfamiliar does not automatically mean it is bad. Sometimes what feels like an ending is actually God making room for a new beginning.

As I sat quietly with the Lord, He gave me the image of an overcrowded flower pot.

At first glance, the flowers were beautiful. They had grown together, flourished together, and filled the pot with vibrant color. But as time passed, their roots began crying out for more room to grow.

If they remained together in that same pot, they would eventually begin competing for the same nutrients, the same water, and the same space. Even if they survived, they would only experience limited, stunted growth.

The only way for each plant to truly thrive was for the gardener to gently separate them and transplant them into new pots where each one would have room to continue growing.

Family, I realized something in that moment.

The separation wasn’t punishment.

The separation was preparation.

Sometimes God allows us to enter seasons that feel uncomfortable because He knows there is no more room for us to grow where we are. What feels like loss may actually be the loving hand of the Gardener making room for new life.

So today I want to leave you with a few questions to prayerfully consider.

Are you living the life God created you to live?

Have you become comfortable in a place that no longer has room for you to grow?

Are you limiting yourself because you are afraid to step into the season God has already ordained for you?

Right now we are in the heart of the summer season. Many of you who enjoy gardening are already thinking ahead. You’re choosing seeds, preparing the soil, and making plans for what you hope will grow in the months ahead.

Growth has never been accidental.

It requires preparation, patience, and sometimes even transplanting.

Perhaps that is exactly where some of us find ourselves today…living faithfully in the in-between, trusting that the Master Gardener knows exactly when it is time to make room for something new.

Take a deep breath. As you slowly exhale,  whisper the words, “I trust you, Lord.”

Remember, Family, you are never alone. Let’s go the Lord in prayer together.

Let Us Pray

Abba,

Today, we take a deep breath.

As we slowly exhale, we whisper the words, “I trust You, Lord.”

Not because we have all the answers.

Not because every question has been resolved.

Not because the road ahead is perfectly clear.

But because You are faithful.

When life asks us to leave what is familiar, help us remember that You are the Master Gardener. You know when our roots have outgrown the pot. You know when it is time to make room for new life. Even when the process feels uncomfortable, remind us that Your hands are always gentle and Your plans are always good.

Lord, teach us not to fear the in-between. Help us to see it as holy ground where our faith takes deeper root and our trust grows stronger. When we are tempted to hold tightly to yesterday, give us the courage to open our hands and receive what You have prepared for tomorrow.

For every heart that feels uprooted tonight, surround them with Your peace. For every soul waiting for answers, fill them with hope. For every person wondering if they have been forgotten, remind them that You never leave Your children unattended. The Gardener never abandons His garden.

So tonight, we choose to trust You.

When we understand… We trust You.
When we don’t understand… We trust You.
When doors close… We trust You.
When new doors begin to open… We trust You.
When we laugh… We trust You.
When we cry… We trust You.

And as we continue living faithfully in the in-between, may our lives bloom in ways that bring glory to You and remind the world that You are always working, even beneath the surface.

Together, we whisper one last time…
“I trust You, Lord.”

In the precious, loving, and faithful name of Jesus, we pray. Amen, Amen, and Amen.

Worship Video of the Day

Music video by Gaither performing Through It All (Lyric Video / Live At The Cove Billy Graham Training Center, Asheville, NC / 2001). © 2023 Gaither Music Group

http://vevo.ly/lajE4T

Rev. Marcia Davis, BA, MA

Covington, GA (USA)

Days 195/196 of 365: Living Faithfully in the In-Between

Sacred Journey Devotionals: A Journey To WholenessLeave a comment

Greetings, Precious Family. May the Peace of the Lord be with you always.

Family, I am beginning a new series this evening. The series is entitled, “Living Faithfully in the In-Between.”

If we’re honest, family, most of life isn’t lived at the beginning of a journey or at the end of it. Most of life is lived somewhere in the middle.

We find ourselves between prayers and answers. Between closed doors and new opportunities. Between tears and testimonies. Between letting go and learning to trust again.
It is in these in-between places that our faith quietly grows.

Just like the seeds we plant in the ground are not going to become towering trees overnight (unless your name happens to be Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk, of course) we cannot expect our own in-between seasons to be any different.

Before a seed ever breaks through the surface, so much has already taken place.
The soil has been broken apart.
A place has been prepared.
The seed has been carefully planted and covered.

Then comes the waiting.
The watering.
The sunshine.
The rain.
The quiet work that no one sees.

Some plants flourish in full sunlight. Others grow best in partial shade. Still others need protection from the intense heat of the day. Every plant has different needs, yet every healthy plant requires time to develop strong roots before anyone ever sees the first sign of life. Our lives are much the same.

God knows exactly how much sunlight our souls need. He knows when to send the rain, when to provide shade, and when to remove the weeds that threaten the growth He has planted within us.

What feels like waiting to us is often God cultivating us. Our in-between seasons are not empty seasons. They are growing seasons.

The in-between is not where God has forgotten us. It is often where He forms us.

Let Us Pray

Abba,

Thank You for reminding us that You are not only the God of beginnings and endings, but also the God of the in-between.

When we cannot yet see the harvest, help us to trust that You are still tending the garden of our hearts.

Thank You for every seed You have planted within us. Thank You for preparing the soil, watering our faith, and patiently caring for us even when we cannot see what is happening beneath the surface.

Forgive us for the times we have mistaken waiting for abandonment.

Forgive us for believing that silence meant You were no longer working.

Help us to remember that roots often grow long before fruit ever appears.

Teach us to embrace whatever season we are in.

If this is a season of bright sunshine, may we praise You with grateful hearts. If this is a season of gentle shade, may we rest in the shelter of Your presence. If this is a season of rain, remind us that every drop is nourishing something within us that will one day bring You glory.

Protect the seeds You have planted in us. Remove the weeds of fear, doubt, bitterness, and discouragement before they take root. Guard our hearts from anything that would steal the hope You have so lovingly placed within us.

Above all, Abba, help us to remain faithful in the in-between. When we are tempted to rush ahead, teach us to wait. When we grow weary, strengthen us. When we cannot see the path before us, remind us that Your hand has never let go of ours.

Thank You that You are always working, even when we cannot see it.

Thank You that every season has a purpose.

Thank You that our in-between seasons are not empty seasons, they are growing seasons.

We trust You with what is behind us, what is before us, and everything in between.

In the precious and faithful name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen, Amen, and Amen.

Worship Video of the Day

Music video by Sandi Patty performing In The In Between. (C) 2013
Gaither Music Group

Rev. Marcia Davis, BA, MA

Covington, GA (USA)