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Stand Still and Watch God Work

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How does God speak? Through his Word. So much of what he wants to say is already in Scripture. Don’t waste time wishing God would write his will in the sky. He’s already written it in a book—the Bible. Stop looking for a sign, and start looking at Scripture. Stop looking for a vision, and start looking for a verse. God’s will is in God’s Word. The more you immerse yourself in it, the clearer your steps in ministry will become.

King Jehoshaphat faced three armies at once. Israel had no chance to win in their own strength. They knew defeat was certain unless God stepped in. So they prayed. This is what God told them:

“‘Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . . You will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD’s victory. He is with you. . . . Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you!’ Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the LORD” (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17–18 NLT).

Pastor, you may feel today like you’re facing multiple battles—criticism, exhaustion, spiritual opposition, or self-doubt. But the same God who fought for Jehoshaphat fights for you. The battle for your church, your calling, and your heart is not yours to carry alone.

Take your position. Keep serving faithfully. But then stand still and watch what God does. Worship while you wait. The results are not up to you—they belong to him.

God has so many promises waiting for you. But you’ll only discover them by opening his Word and letting him speak. On this Monday, rest in this truth: It’s God’s battle, not yours.

Father, thank you that the battle belongs to you. Today I surrender my church, my ministry, and my own weary heart into your hands. Speak through your Word. Strengthen me to take my position faithfully, but teach me to stand still and watch you move. Guard me from fear and discouragement. Let my leadership flow out of worship and trust in you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Stand Still and Watch God Work

Prayer is a conversation, not a monologue. When you pray, don’t do all the talking. As a pastor, it can be easy for you to carry everyone else’s needs to God but forget to pause and let him speak to you. But you can’t build a friendship with God—or lead his people well—without listening to his voice.How does God speak? Through his Word. So much of what he wants to say is already in Scripture. Don’t waste time wishing God would write his will in the sky. He’s already written it in a book—the Bible. Stop looking for a sign, and start looking at Scripture. Stop looking for a vision, and start looking for a verse. God’s will is in God’s Word. The more you immerse yourself in it, the clearer your steps in ministry will become.King Jehoshaphat faced three armies at once. Israel had no chance to win in their own strength. They knew defeat was certain unless God stepped in. So they prayed. This is what God told them:“‘Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . . You will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD’s victory. He is with you. . . . Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you!’ Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the LORD” (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17–18 NLT).Pastor, you may feel today like you’re facing multiple battles—criticism, exhaustion, spiritual opposition, or self-doubt. But the same God who fought for Jehoshaphat fights for you. The battle for your church, your calling, and your heart is not yours to carry alone.Take your position. Keep serving faithfully. But then stand still and watch what God does. Worship while you wait. The results are not up to you—they belong to him.God has so many promises waiting for you. But you’ll only discover them by opening his Word and letting him speak. On this Monday, rest in this truth: It’s God’s battle, not yours.Father, thank you that the battle belongs to you. Today I surrender my church, my ministry, and my own weary heart into your hands. Speak through your Word. Strengthen me to take my position faithfully, but teach me to stand still and watch you move. Guard me from fear and discouragement. Let my leadership flow out of worship and trust in you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Walking by Faith When God Feels Distant

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” Job 1:21 (NIV)When you are a baby Christian, God gives you a lot of confirming emotions and often answers the most immature, self-centered prayers—so you’ll know he exists. But as you grow in faith, he will wean you of these dependencies.God wants you to sense his presence, but he’s more concerned that you trust him than feel him. The situations that will stretch your faith most will be those times when life falls apart and God seems nowhere to be found. This happened to Job. On a single day he lost everything — his family, his business, his health, and everything he owned. Most discouraging for Job was that for 37 chapters of the Bible, God said nothing!How do you praise God when you don’t understand what’s happening in your life and God is silent? How do you stay connected in a crisis without communication? How do you keep your eyes on Jesus when they’re full of tears? You do what Job did: He fell to the ground in worship and said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job 1:21 NIV).Tell God exactly how you feel. Pour out your heart to God. Unload every emotion that you’re feeling. Job did this when he said, “I can’t be quiet! I am angry and bitter. I have to speak” (Job 7:11 GNT).He cried out when God seemed distant: “Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house” (Job 29:4 NIV).Learn from Job’s model this week. 

Keep Going—in God’s Power

"We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going." 2 Corinthians 4:9 (TLB)If you’ve ever run a marathon—or even just watched one—you’ve heard people yell, “Keep going!” It’s a simple but powerful reminder. And for those of us in ministry, especially on a Monday morning after a long Sunday, it might be exactly what we need to hear.Keep going, pastor.You may feel emotionally drained and spiritually depleted. Maybe you're wondering if the pushback you faced yesterday was worth it—or if standing firm cost you more than it helped. But the Bible is full of people who pressed forward through opposition—and God used them powerfully.Jesus faced intense resistance from every angle. Religious leaders constantly criticized him. Political leaders threatened him. At one point, people warned him that Herod wanted to kill him. But Jesus replied: “Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose” (Luke 13:32-33 NLT).Jesus knew his calling, and no amount of criticism or fear could keep him from it. He kept going.Paul did the same. Ministry was never easy for Paul. He wrote: “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed . . . but we don’t give up and quit. . . . We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 TLB).Sound familiar? Pastoring means dealing with pressure from all sides—spiritual warfare, emotional strain, difficult people, unmet expectations. But, friend, you're not alone in this.Paul tells us where his strength came from: “We can only keep on going, after all, by the power of God, who first saved us and then called us to this holy work” (2 Timothy 1:8-9 MSG).God doesn’t ask you to keep going in your own power. He called you—and the one who called you is faithful. He will supply the strength, grace, wisdom, and stamina you need to keep showing up. To preach another sermon. To love another person. To shepherd another soul.So today, pastor, take a deep breath. Rest in God’s power. And keep going.You’re not alone. God’s not done.

Loving and Serving God with Your Heart

“Jesus answered, ‘The most important command is this: “Listen, people of Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’’’” Mark 12:29–30 (NCV)Pastor, you know this verse. You’ve preached it. You’ve quoted it. But take a moment to hear it again—fresh for you.Jesus isn’t calling you to love God from a distance. He’s calling you to love him deeply, fully, emotionally—with everything you've got.It’s easy in ministry to lead with your mind and your strength. You study hard. You preach faithfully. You shepherd diligently. But God wants more than your intellect and effort. He desires your heart—your emotions—engaged in loving him.That’s not always easy. Sundays can leave you emotionally wrung out. You may wake up Monday feeling numb, discouraged, or simply tired. But don’t mistake that as failure. You were made in God’s image—and that includes your emotional capacity.God is an emotional God. Scripture shows him rejoicing, grieving, expressing anger at sin, and showing deep compassion. You feel because God feels. Emotions are not a flaw in your design; they’re a feature of your calling.But like every good thing, they need shepherding. As a pastor, you face two temptations with emotions:One is emotionalism—letting feelings drive your decisions and ministry.The other is stoicism—shutting your emotions off entirely, pretending they don’t matter.Neither reflects the heart of God. He looks deeply into your mind and your heart (Psalm 7:9). He created both. And he wants both involved in how you love and serve him.So this Monday, don’t rush past your emotions. Sit with them. Bring them to Jesus. Worship him not just with your words or your work, but with your heart.Let this be a week where you love God—not just with your sermons, your schedule, or your strategies, but with all your heart.

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