I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that it is I, Yahweh, who calls you by your name, even the God of Israel. Isaiah 45:3 (WEB)
Ever found yourself in a place where you finally think you’ve got the hang of things? You’ve learned to be still, your heart feels settled, and life seems to be looking up a little, and then suddenly, something happens that shakes you again.
Maybe it’s anger bursting out of nowhere. Maybe it’s disappointment, discouragement, or that deep ache that whispers, “I thought I was past this.”
You feel like you’ve gone all the way back to where you started.
You are not alone.
After spending time soaking in Psalm 46, I thought I had finally arrived at a peaceful rhythm with God. I understood that stillness wasn’t inactivity: it was trust. But just when things began to make sense, God led me into another lesson, and this time it wasn’t as easy to embrace.
Realizing the Wilderness Is Part of the Journey
For the longest time, I didn’t understand what people meant by “the wilderness season.” I’d heard about believers suffering in the Bible, but I thought that applied only to persecution—being mocked or rejected because of your faith.
I didn’t know about the crushing, the inner refining that happens when God turns up the heat to shape your heart.
In today’s watered-down version of Christianity, we’re often told that if we have faith, everything should work out smoothly. So when hardship hits, we think something must be wrong with us or with our faith.
But as God began to lead me to different voices and teachings, I started to realize, “This is part of the process.” The wilderness isn’t punishment; it’s preparation.
Learning From Isaiah’s Honesty
As I continued to seek God, He led me to Isaiah 49. In verse 4, Isaiah says:
But I said, “I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength in vain for nothing; yet surely the justice due to me is with Yahweh, and my reward with my God.”
That verse hit home.
Even after learning how to be still and trust God, there was still a part of me that felt stretched and weary. I was obeying God: praying, engaging in spiritual warfare, and confronting generational cycles, but it felt like my labor was in vain.
He had told me to start writing on Instagram and to stay faithful to that assignment. In my mind, I assumed obedience would equal quick growth, that as I showed up, my audience would grow, and things would fall into place.
But that didn’t happen. Even as I write this book, it still hasn’t happened the way I imagined.
And honestly? It was frustrating. I started asking God, “Why am I doing this if nothing is changing?”
When Obedience Feels Pointless
There’s a unique kind of pain that comes from obeying God and still seeing no results.
Maybe you’ve prayed for people to be healed or saved, and nothing seems to move. Maybe you’ve shown up faithfully to the thing God told you to do, but all you see is silence.
That’s where Isaiah’s words become our own: “I have labored in vain.”
But the key is in the next sentence: “Yet what is due to me is in the Lord’s hand.”
Even when it feels wasted, your obedience is not forgotten. God holds your reward. He keeps every act of faith, every quiet “yes,” and every tear you’ve cried in the secret place.
Like the Israelites circling the walls of Jericho, sometimes your obedience will feel repetitive and endless. You’ve gone around the same wall again and again, and still, nothing seems to fall. But remember: biblically, seven represents completion and perfection. Only God knows when your “seventh day” will come.
Keep walking. Keep circling. Keep showing up.
The Slow Work of God
I used to wish God would just sit me down and explain everything step by step.
“Here’s the generational pattern. Fast for these days. Pray these prayers. Do this, and it’ll be done.”
But God doesn’t work like that. He’s not a formula; He’s a Father.
He leads us through seasons so we can learn dependence, not control. The world teaches us shortcuts and strategies, but God is teaching us surrender.
When I look back at how He led me, through Isaiah 43, where He said, “Behold, I am doing a new thing,” I remember how excited I was. I thought, “This is it! My breakthrough season!”
But I ran ahead of God. I wanted the “new thing” without the waiting. And when it didn’t happen as fast as I expected, I felt wasted, like I’d labored for nothing.
That’s when I realized: running faster won’t make God move quicker. The promise will come at His appointed time—not mine.
Faith That Outlasts Results
Hebrews 11 reminds us of the heroes of faith who believed God’s promises even though they never saw them fulfilled in their lifetime. They died still believing.
That kind of faith says, “Even if I don’t see it now, I know my reward is with God.”
And honestly, that’s the anchor we need in seasons when waiting feels wasted, the eternal perspective. This life is short compared to eternity. What looks delayed here is only temporary in the light of forever.
When the enemy whispers that you’ve wasted your time, your prayers, or your faith, remind him that nothing done in obedience to God is ever wasted.
Even if you never see the fruit here on earth, eternity will reveal the harvest.
Let me close this chapter by saying something very important, something I learned the hard way while walking through this process. What we often call success may not be success in God’s eyes.
For me, success used to look like numbers: going from one thousand followers to fifty thousand and watching my platform grow. But to God, success looked completely different.
It was never about how many people followed me; it was about the hearts He allowed me to touch. The few who liked my posts and felt seen. The ones who sent messages saying, “Don’t ever quit. You’ve encouraged me so much.” Those who trusted me with their prayer requests and opened up about their struggles, things they couldn’t tell anyone else.
That’s success to God. Faithfulness over fame. Obedience over outcome. Impact over influence.
God’s ways are not our ways, and His definition of success will always challenge ours. But once we embrace His perspective, we find peace in simply showing up and letting Him measure what truly matters.
Reflection
- Have you ever felt like your obedience wasn’t producing results? What emotions surfaced during that time?
- What “walls” are you still circling in faith today?
- How might God be using what looks like delay to develop your dependence on Him?
Heart Work
1. Write a letter to God about the areas of your life that feel wasted. Be honest; tell Him your frustrations, your weariness, and your questions. Then end the letter with a declaration: “Yet what is due to me is in Your hands, Lord.”
2. Meditate on Isaiah 49:4 this week. Each time discouragement comes, repeat that verse and surrender your efforts to God again.
3. Worship while you wait. Choose one song (like “Trust and Obey” or “Way Maker”) and let it become your anthem of faith in this waiting season.