Have you ever felt like your life is on hold while everyone else is moving forward? Perhaps you're stuck in a difficult job, facing financial limitations, feeling isolated at home, or longing for a new season that never seems to arrive. In today's episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef offers Biblical encouragement for anyone struggling to understand God's timing.
We naturally want progress, purpose, and opportunities to make a difference. But throughout Scripture, God repeatedly placed His servants in seasons of obscurity before calling them into significant ministry. What feels like a delay to us may be part of God's greater plan.
Consider the prophet Elijah. In 1 Kings 17, God called him to confront King Ahab and challenge Israel's widespread idolatry. Elijah had an extraordinary mission: to call God's people back to faithful worship. Yet immediately after delivering his first bold message, God directed him into hiding.
Imagine Elijah's confusion. He had been called to serve, yet God removed him from the very people he was meant to reach. Although Elijah could not see how this waiting period fit into God's purposes, he continued to follow the Lord's direction faithfully.
Dr. Youssef reminds us that God's preparation does not always look like progress. Even when circumstances feel restrictive or unproductive, the Lord remains sovereign, and His timing is never accidental.
If you're feeling trapped in a holding pattern today, don't assume God is finished with you. Your current season may be an opportunity to develop patience, deepen your dependence on Him, and learn the obedience that prepares you for what comes next.
Instead of rushing ahead of God, trust His direction. The same Lord who called Elijah into hiding knew exactly when and how to call him forward again.
Join me in prayer.
Father God, help me to view my time of waiting from Your perspective. Help me to be faithful to follow Your direction even if it doesn’t make sense to me. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today’s devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone.
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[00:00:00] This is Dr. Michael Youssef, and you are listening to today's My Devotional from Leading The Way, Uncompromising Truth for Everyday Faith. The 7th of November, 2026. Sent into Hiding It's easy to wonder what God is doing when you feel stuck. Maybe you're in a job or a financial situation that seems stifling.
[00:00:26] Or maybe it's a season in your life when you feel disconnected from other people, as a new mother or a shut-in confined to the home. You long for the next step in your life, but you feel trapped in the present. It is our natural instinct to want to break free from what we see as a holding pattern in life. We want to progress. We want to move on to that next exciting adventure.
[00:00:53] We feel that we should be doing something important instead of safely passing time in a hiding place. Yet, that is not how God wants us to view our situation. Throughout the Bible, God repeatedly hid away His servants just before they did something great for Him. Elijah was eager to minister to others, yet God held him back for three years.
[00:01:17] During Elijah's time, the people of God had reached one of their lowest points in history as they voiced their allegiance to God, yet all the while dabbled in pagan religions. So, God sent Elijah to bring His children back to Himself. Elijah had his work cut out for him. You can imagine his excitement at the prospect of doing such important work for God, and one of his first tasks was confronting the king himself.
[00:01:47] Yet, immediately after that experience, God sent Elijah into hiding. You can imagine how perplexed Elijah must have been. God had called him, yet he was hidden from the very people he was called to serve. As confusing and frustrating as it may have been for Elijah to passively wait for the next step, God was working in his life. No matter what Elijah felt or questioned about his circumstances, he faithfully followed God's direction.
[00:02:17] Join me in prayer. Precious Lord, help me to view my time of waiting from Your perspective. Help me to be faithful to follow Your direction, even if it doesn't make sense to me. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.