Never.
It’s the word that can stir the deepest fear in the bravest heart.
“I’ll never find a job.”
“This will never get better.”
“I’ll never get married.”
“I’ll never have the child I long for.”
“He’ll never come home to me.”
It’s the lie that originates with our sinful nature, and it insists on putting a decisive end to all of our hopes. Don’t bother to dream, it whispers cruelly. You don’t deserve it. Stop wishing for what can never be.
And so we continue to drive the nails into the coffin of our dearest longings.
“The Lord will never answer my prayers.”
But this is the challenge of waiting on God. It’s the ability to keep hoping when the nevers of life bombard us—when the minutes, hours, days, and years tick away without any answers to our most passionate pleas at the throne of grace. It’s the faith to hang on to the Father on the long road when human reason tells us to give up.
If the nevers of life are discouraging you, if you’ve waited for the Lord to fulfill His promises to you, if you wonder why God has allowed such a lengthy delay in answering the deepest cries of your heart—if that’s where you are, friend—then this is the right reading plan for you. If you look, you’ll find meaning and hope in these times of waiting on the Lord to respond. Though you don’t see Him working, you can know for certain that He is because He guarantees that He “acts on behalf of the one who waits for Him” (Isa. 64:4).
Not only that, but the Father has an awesome plan for you—purposes that are fantastic, perfectly suited for you, and that will give ultimate meaning to your life. However, God also has a very specific schedule—one that’s often vastly different from what you’d expect, may have you wait far beyond what makes you comfortable, and most likely will make you feel that all earthly hope is gone so that you’ll rely solely upon Him (2 Cor. 1:9).
What I intend to show you throughout the devotions that follow is that the only “never” you should focus on is that God will never let you down (Deut. 31:6, 8). So whatever it is you yearn for—no matter how long you have to wait—you can trust the Father to lead you. And you can know for absolute certain that He has your very best interest in mind.
Study Further:
“For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!”
Isaiah 64:4 NLT
“In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.”
2 Corinthians 1:9 NLT
“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT
“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.””
Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT
