Last night, I was feeling down in the dumps. So I opened my Bible to one of my sticky noted passages and read the following verse:
“For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?” This verse is found in Isaiah 14:27 (NIV).
Some of my favorite verses in the Bible are about how God sets things in motion, makes promises to humanity, and then follows through. The part where it gets hard is remembering that God’s timeline is vastly different from what we humans think it should be.
I am guilty of this. God set a calling on my life almost six years ago, and I’m waiting for the next step to unfold. As 2025 opened, I sensed that I’m really close to the next piece. Unfortunately, it’s not here yet. And sometimes when I wait like this, I tend to get discouraged.
Discouragement can lead us back to God, if we allow our gaze to return to Him. I may not always do just that, though. Sometimes, I follow discouragement down a rabbit hole and get into a funk that I can’t seem to shake. The good news is that God is always waiting to help pull us out of this funk.
I can’t cite where I heard this, but somewhere I read this statement: “When God placed a calling on your life, He already factored in your stupidity.” Sounds harsh, but honestly, I’m really relieved. On my own, I will head down that rabbit hole and spiral in discouragement every time.
But remember the good news: God provides a way out every time. He knew that I would struggle. So He showed me verses to mark in the Bible that I would find later to help me refocus and break out of the spiral, like a trail of breadcrumbs.
Scripture is such a gift for us. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” This includes being a lifeline to help guide us out of a funk.
It’s important to spend time in scripture when times are good AND when times are bad. In the good times, grab your pen and sticky notes and mark verses that speak to you and encourage you. These are the breadcrumbs that will guide you upward out of a spiral and point you to God’s promises once again. When you find yourself in that funk, grab your Bible and open to the passages you’ve marked. Use them as crumbs to lead you out and sustain you until you can see the light again.
The funk won’t last forever. And God WILL keep His promises, in His timing. He is still good. Hold to your breadcrumbs and your faith. The next step will be here soon.
Blessings,
~Lynne
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